UNIX & Shell Scripting: Essential Skills for Data Engineers
Introduction
UNIX and shell scripting remain essential skills for data engineers. Many data processing tasks can be automated efficiently with shell scripts.
Why Learn UNIX?
Essential UNIX Commands
File Operations
```bash
ls -la # List all files
cd /path # Change directory
cp source dest # Copy files
mv old new # Move/rename
rm file # Remove file
```
Text Processing
```bash
cat file.txt # View file
grep "pattern" file # Search text
awk '{print $1}' # Extract columns
sed 's/old/new/g' # Replace text
sort file | uniq # Sort and dedupe
```
Data Pipeline
```bash
head -n 10 file.csv # First 10 lines
tail -n 5 file.log # Last 5 lines
wc -l file # Count lines
cut -d',' -f1 file.csv # Extract column
```
Shell Scripting Basics
Your First Script
```bash
#!/bin/bash
echo "Processing started..."
for file in *.csv; do
echo "Processing $file"
done
echo "Done!"
```
Variables and Conditionals
```bash
#!/bin/bash
count=$(wc -l < "$1")
if [ $count -gt 100 ]; then
echo "Large file: $count lines"
else
echo "Small file: $count lines"
fi
```
Advanced Techniques
Conclusion
UNIX skills amplify your data engineering capabilities. Start with basics and progressively tackle complex automation.
