lines/getline: Replacement for head/tail

When I create a Shell script and try to do this in a POSIX compatible way, sometimes I would need to read (only) certain lines of a file or a pipe.

In order not to end up in a construction of head an tail invokations and in order to output several blocks of data at one time I programmed a replacement for head and tail.

The first version was a slow shell skript, the second version is a faster awk program which has same functionality.

Programs' usage is explained inthe following examples:

Remark: Only use the program in a private scope; for further information please look at the imprint of this website.

1. Herunterladen: Version 1.07 oder Version 1.08 (Bug behoben)
2. In ein neues/leeres Verzeichnis (!) entpacken (Unpack into an empty dir!)
3. Das neue Verzeichnis in PATH aufnehmen
4. Ausführen:

   # printf "    %s\n" a b c d e f g | getline 2-3,3#-6
       b
       c
       e
       f
   # printf "    %s\n" a b c d e f g | getline 3#-6,2-3
       b
       c
       e
       f
   # printf "    %s\n" a b c d e | lines 2-3,3#-4
       b
       c
       c
       d
   # printf "    %s\n" a b c d e | lines --unique 2-3,3#-4
       b
       c
       d
   # printf "    %s\n" a b c d e | lines --unique 2-3,3#-
       b
       c
       d
       e
   #
   
   

5. An der neu gefundenen Alternative zu head und tail freuen!