[line-address]=

This command cannot operate on a range of lines.

A programmer might use this to print certain lines in a source file. For instance, the following script prints the line number followed by the line itself for each line containing a tab followed by the string "if". Here's the script:

#n print line number and line with if statement
/       if/{
=
p
}

Note that #n suppresses the default output of lines. Now let's see how it works on a sample program, random.c:

$ sed -f sedscr.= random.c
192
        if(  rand_type  ==  TYPE_0  )  {
234
        if(  rand_type  ==  TYPE_0  )  state[ -1 ] = rand_type;
236
        if(  n  <  BREAK_1  )  {
252
                if(  n  <  BREAK_3  )  {
274
        if(  rand_type  ==  TYPE_0  )  state[ -1 ] = rand_type;
303
        if(  rand_type  ==  TYPE_0  )  state[ -1 ] = rand_type;

The line numbers might be useful in finding problems reported by the compiler, which typically lists the line number.

5.8. Print		5.10. Next