How do I use output from awk in another command?
awk, bash, pipeline
Solution
You just need to use command substitution:
date ... $(last $USER | ... | awk '...') ...
Bash will evaluate the command/pipeline inside the `$(...)` and place the result there.
Problem
So I need to convert a date to a different format. With a bash pipeline, I'm taking the date from the last console login, and pulling the relevant bits out with awk, like so: ``` last $USER | grep console | head -1 | awk '{print $4, $5}' ``` Which outputs: `Aug 08` ($4=Aug $5=08, in this case.) Now, I want to take 'Aug 08' and put it into a `date` command to change the format to a numerical date. Which would look something like this: ``` date -j -f %b\ %d Aug\ 08 +%m-%d ``` Outputs: 08-08 The question I have is, how do I add that to my pipeline and use the awk variables $4 and $5 where 'Aug 08' is in that date command?