[comp.sys.ibm.pc] Need AWK for MS-DOS System

kgordon@brandx.rutgers.edu (KGORDON) (03/18/88)

I need a version of AWK for a MS-DOS system.  If you know where I could
find one, preferably in the public domain (but not limited to PD), I would
appreciate any information.  Thanks in advance for your help.
-------Ken Gordon(kgordon@klinzhai.rutgers.edu)

lufkin@hpccc.HP.COM (Paul Lufkin) (03/23/88)

(My apologies to the net:  I tried to mail to the requestor several different
 ways, all without success.)

There's a pretty good implementation of awk in the MKSToolkit from:

	Mortice Kern Systems, Inc.
	43 Bridgeport Road East,
	Waterloo, Ontario
	Canada, N2J 2J4
	(519) 884-2251

	{allegra,decvax,ihnp4}!watmath!mks!toolkit

I say 'pretty good' only because I have not *exhaustively* tested it, but so 
far it seems to have all the 'new' awk features described in Aho, Kernighan
and Aho's "The AWK Programming Language" (1988) such as expanded string
manipulation capability and user defined function.  The Toolkit also
includes all the important standard UN*X tools and a pretty good implementation
of vi.  Current list price is on the order of $140, but if you check the
ads (ie. Programmer's Connection, for one) I think you can get it for
around $100.

Cheers,

Paul Lufkin, Jr.
Hewlett-Packard Application Support Division
lufkin@hpccc or [hpda|hpfcla]!hpwcso!paul

psc@lznv.ATT.COM (P.S.CHISHOLM) (03/23/88)

< If you lined all the news readers up end-to-end, they'd be easier to shoot. >

Gee, I expected a hundred replies to this one, but nothing so far, so
here goes.  Mortice Kern Systems sells AWK, either by itself ($75), or
as part of the MKS Toolkit ($139).  The toolkit includes well over one
hundred UNIX(R)-like tools, including ksh and vi.  I've talked with
several MKS customers, and all but one of them were delighted with the
Toolkit.

Quote from "The Connection:  Programmer's Connection Buyer's Guide",
winter 88 issue, p. 4:  "Are MKS VI and MKS AWK the same programs
included in the MKS Toolkit?  VI, the full screen editor, is the same.
AWK, the fourth generation language, is different.  If purchased
separately, MKS AWK supports four memory models:  LARGE (available
memory up to 640K), SMALL (64K of code and 64K of data), LARGE with
8087 support and SMALL with 8087 support.  The MKS AWK included with
the MKS Toolkit supports the small memory model only and does not have
8087 support."  I happen to know that the separate package includes the
new book, THE AWK PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE, by Aho, Weinberger, and
Kernighan; the Toolkit AWK doesn't.  The Toolkit AWK *does* support the
new UNIX SVR3.2 features, such as AWK functions.

These packages are available from Programmer's Connection for $114 and
$65, respectively.  MKS VI by itself lists for $75, but is $65 from
Programmer's Connection.  Either way, if you want both AWK and VI, it's
cheaper to buy the whole Toolkit.

For more information, contact Mortice Kern Systems at
watmath!mks!inquiry or 519-884-2251, or Programmer's Connection at
800-336-1166.

-Paul S. R. Chisholm, {ihnp4,cbosgd,allegra,rutgers}!mtune!lznv!psc
AT&T Mail !psrchisholm, Internet psc@lznv.att.com
I'm not speaking for my employer, I'm just speaking my mind.  I have no
relation to MKS or Programmer's Connection, except that I ordered the
MKS Toolkit from Programmer's Connection this morning, which is why I've
got the catalog in the office.  If you want to buy a real UNIX system,
I'll get a salesman to call.  UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T.

wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Resident Scatologist) (03/27/88)

I haven't done an all encompassing test of MKS' AWK, but for me it
is virtually indistinguishable from the AWK realization that comes
along with SYS V.2.  About a year ago, someone at MKS posted an
8086 assembler written in AWK.  I used to have it, but I can't find
it at the moment.  Check for MKS's adverts in Unix World mag.

The only connection I have with MKS is that I used their product,
and it seemed to work.

--Bill