File: gawk.info,  Node: Patterns and Actions,  Next: Arrays,  Prev: Expressions,  Up: Top

7 Patterns, Actions, and Variables
**********************************

As you have already seen, each 'awk' statement consists of a pattern
with an associated action.  This major node describes how you build
patterns and actions, what kinds of things you can do within actions,
and 'awk''s predefined variables.

   The pattern-action rules and the statements available for use within
actions form the core of 'awk' programming.  In a sense, everything
covered up to here has been the foundation that programs are built on
top of.  Now it's time to start building something useful.

* Menu:

* Pattern Overview::            What goes into a pattern.
* Using Shell Variables::       How to use shell variables with 'awk'.
* Action Overview::             What goes into an action.
* Statements::                  Describes the various control statements in
                                detail.
* Built-in Variables::          Summarizes the predefined variables.
* Pattern Action Summary::      Patterns and Actions summary.