a2p

a2p [-Dnumber] [-Fcharacter] [-n] [-o] [filename]

a2p (awk to perl) is a translator that converts awk scripts into Perl programs. It reads an awk script specified on the command line (or from stdin if no file is given) and outputs equivalent Perl code to stdout.The generated Perl code attempts to mimic the behavior of awk as closely as possible, including handling of the implicit input loop, field splitting, pattern matching, and output formatting. While the output may not be the most elegant Perl, it provides a functional starting point for migration.

-Dnumber

Set debugging flags

Specify the field separator character (corresponds to awk's -F option). By default, fields are split on whitespace

Disable the automatic split() on input lines. Use this when you want to handle line splitting manually

Print the old awk script as comments in the output Perl code. Useful for comparing the original and converted code

The generated Perl code may require manual cleanup for optimal style and performance. Some complex awk constructs or GNU awk extensions may not translate perfectly. The translator assumes POSIX awk behavior.a2p is deprecated and was removed from the core Perl distribution in Perl 5.22 (2015). It is no longer shipped with modern Perl. Use it only on older systems, or rewrite awk scripts in Perl directly.

a2p was written by Larry Wall, the creator of Perl, and first appeared with Perl 1.0 in 1987. It was one of the earliest tools designed to help users migrate from Unix scripting tools to Perl during a time when Perl was being positioned as a replacement for awk, sed, and shell scripting. It was removed from the Perl core distribution in Perl 5.22 (2015).

awk(1), perl(1)

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