Of all the tools I’ve been exposed to on Linux, Awk has always been one of the most confusing. Most times I see Awk used, it gets the dubious honor of being even more unreadable than Perl.

It turns out I just didn’t have a proper introduction to Awk. I read a tutorial today called Awk in 20 Minutes that a fantastic introduction to Awk. It is one of the best beginner tutorials I’ve read in quite a while. I don’t believe you can master anything in 20 minutes, but I learned enough about Awk that I’m not scared of it anymore.

If you too share my Awkrophobia, you should check out Awk in 20 Minutes.