Xref: news2.mv.net comp.os.msdos.djgpp:2266
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
From: hankedr AT dms DOT auburn DOT edu (Darrel Hankerson)
Subject: Re: Difference between mawk and gawk
In-Reply-To: "Rafael R. Sevilla"'s message of Sat, 30 Mar 1996 08:04:17 GMT
Message-ID: <HANKEDR.96Mar29192052@manatee.dms.auburn.edu>
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Cc: rsevilla AT sauron DOT upd DOT edu DOT ph
Organization: Auburn University
References: <Pine DOT SOL DOT 3 DOT 91 DOT 960330000116 DOT 790A-100000 AT sauron>
Date: Sat, 30 Mar 1996 01:20:52 GMT
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To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
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In article <Pine DOT SOL DOT 3 DOT 91 DOT 960330000116 DOT 790A-100000 AT sauron> "Rafael R. Sevilla"
<rsevilla AT upd DOT edu DOT ph> writes:

   I'm sorry if this question [on awk] isn't really concerning djgpp,
   [...] I can't post to any other newsgroups but this one.

Perhaps your news admin can provide access to comp.lang.awk.

   but I'd like to ask what the difference between two programs in the 
   gnuish archive, mawk and gawk. They appear to be both versions of that 
   old pattern scanning and processing language by Aho, Weinberger, and 
   Kernighan, but what's the difference between the two versions?

Arnold Robbins gave a good brief answer: gawk has more features, and
mawk is smaller and faster.  GNUish (16bit ports to OS/2 and DOS;
http://wuarchive.wustl.edu/systems/msdos/gnuish/gnuish.htm) retains
both versions, as each has its strengths.

By private email, I will send a comparison by Chris Fearnley
<cjf AT netaxs DOT com> which was posted on comp.lang.awk.  It is mostly
about the tests supplied with mawk and gawk, but it illustrates the
"more features / less resources" remark.

--
--Darrel Hankerson hankedr AT mail DOT auburn DOT edu