Kindly please assit me to compare two files in perl or any other script: I have two files: File1.abc start prog name cadillac ggg abc ttt fff start prog name Toyota ggg abc ttt fff start prog name Ford ggg abc ttt fff File2.bcd start apps name mazda ggg abc ttt fff start prog name cadillac ggg abc ttt fff start prog name Toyota ggg abc ttt fff start prog name Isuzu ggg abc ttt fff I have tried sdiff and diff but the output brings all kind of junks. I am specifically need to compare just the "name" field. The script only look for match written next to name field and will create an output telling me unmatch in name field. So output will say: name Ford found in file1.abc not found in File2.bcd name mazda found in file2.bcd not found in File1.abc name Isuzu found in file2.bcd not found in File1.abc Thanks and appreciate your help.

The following code I have tried but getting error on line 9 and 10: Please assist: awk ' BEGIN {RS = ""; FS = "(\n)| ( )"} # set the record separator as "" # save the first file name and 4th field of it in an array NR == FNR { seen[$4] = 1; prefile = FILENAME } # test if the $4 in second file existing in the array or not NR != FNR { nextf = FILENAME; if( $4 in seen) seen[$4] = 0 else print $4 " found in " nextf " not found in " prefile } # print the field in first file but not in the nextfile END { for( ix in seen){ if( seen[ix] == 1) print ix " found in " prefile " not found in " nextf } } ' file.abc file.def

The script you posted seems to be a good approach, but I do not know why you are changing RS and FS from their defaults. Your script works for me, but with the following changes: I left RS and FS at their defaults.  You may have special needs here that I am not aware of. I used the input files from your initial posting, which means my script below picks up the name value from $2 instead of $4. The only lines I process (in both files) are the name lines. awk '\ # save first file name fields NR == FNR {   prefile = FILENAME   if ($1 == "name")      seen[$2] = 1 } # test if the second file name fields are in the array NR != FNR { nextf = FILENAME; if ($1 == "name")    if( $2 in seen)       seen[$2] = 0    else       print $2 " found in " nextf " not found in " prefile } # print each name seen in first file but not in second file END { for (ix in seen)    if (seen[ix] == 1)       print ix " found in " prefile " not found in " nextf }' file.abc file.def mazda found in file.def not found in file.abc Isuzu found in file.def not found in file.abc Ford found in file.abc not found in file.def