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A Rose by Any Other Name
========================

   The `awk' language has evolved over the years. Full details are
provided in Note: The Evolution of the `awk' Language.
The language described in this Info file is often referred to as "new
`awk'" (`nawk').

   Because of this, many systems have multiple versions of `awk'.  Some
systems have an `awk' utility that implements the original version of
the `awk' language and a `nawk' utility for the new version.  Others
have an `oawk' for the "old `awk'" language and plain `awk' for the new
one.  Still others only have one version, which is usually the new
one.(1)

   All in all, this makes it difficult for you to know which version of
`awk' you should run when writing your programs.  The best advice I can
give here is to check your local documentation. Look for `awk', `oawk',
and `nawk', as well as for `gawk'.  It is likely that you already have
some version of new `awk' on your system, which is what you should use
when running your programs.  (Of course, if you're reading this Info
file, chances are good that you have `gawk'!)

   Throughout this Info file, whenever we refer to a language feature
that should be available in any complete implementation of POSIX `awk',
we simply use the term `awk'.  When referring to a feature that is
specific to the GNU implementation, we use the term `gawk'.

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) Often, these systems use `gawk' for their `awk' implementation!