File: gawk.info,  Node: Nondecimal Data,  Next: Boolean Typed Values,  Up: Advanced Features

12.1 Allowing Nondecimal Input Data
===================================

If you run 'gawk' with the '--non-decimal-data' option, you can have
nondecimal values in your input data:

     $ echo 0123 123 0x123 |
     > gawk --non-decimal-data '{ printf "%d, %d, %d\n", $1, $2, $3 }'
     -| 83, 123, 291

   For this feature to work, write your program so that 'gawk' treats
your data as numeric:

     $ echo 0123 123 0x123 | gawk '{ print $1, $2, $3 }'
     -| 0123 123 0x123

The 'print' statement treats its expressions as strings.  Although the
fields can act as numbers when necessary, they are still strings, so
'print' does not try to treat them numerically.  You need to add zero to
a field to force it to be treated as a number.  For example:

     $ echo 0123 123 0x123 | gawk --non-decimal-data '
     > { print $1, $2, $3
     >   print $1 + 0, $2 + 0, $3 + 0 }'
     -| 0123 123 0x123
     -| 83 123 291

   Because it is common to have decimal data with leading zeros, and
because using this facility could lead to surprising results, the
default is to leave it disabled.  If you want it, you must explicitly
request it.

     CAUTION: _Use of this option is not recommended._  It can break old
     programs very badly.  Instead, use the 'strtonum()' function to
     convert your data (*note String Functions::).  This makes your
     programs easier to write and easier to read, and leads to less
     surprising results.

     This option may disappear in a future version of 'gawk'.