Got a text formatting/database question ("bash" it to hell?)

Top Page
Attachments:
Message as email
+ (text/plain)
Delete this message
Reply to this message
Author: Jim March
Date:  
To: Tucson Free Unix Group, Main PLUG discussion list
Subject: Got a text formatting/database question ("bash" it to hell?)
Guys,

I have an interesting database problem that I think can be solved on
the command line in one shot. But I don't know how :(.

I have a comma separated values text file. Each line shows a voter ID
number and an election ID number they voted in. NOT who they voted
for, and not their names, just that they voted in that election (cast
a ballot at all, even if blank).

There are multiple elections a given voter likely voted for. So
here's the section for two voter IDs (first column) and the elections
they voted in (second column) plus the method used to vote (third
column) if it was early or mail-in (which I can ignore). In pasting
it to EMail (from Openoffice spreadsheet used as a quick viewer)
they're separated by spaces but in the original data it's commas.

---
233    2    
233    3    
233    4    
233    5    
233    6    
233    7    
233    31    
233    32    
233    38    
233    41    
233    45    
233    55    
233    57    
233    95    
233    96    
235    2    
235    3    
235    4    
235    5    
235    6    
235    7    
235    31    Early Ballot
235    32    Early Ballot
235    38    
235    45    
235    55    
235    57    Early Ballot
235    95    Early Ballot
235    96    Early Ballot
235    125    
235    126    Early Ballot
235    143    
235    147    Early Ballot
235    148    Early Ballot
235    170    Early Ballot
---


So what I want to do is, strip out every line that does NOT have a
"170" in the second column, and then produce a line count. I need to
know (like ASAP) how many people voted in election 170 as that's the
2006 RTA special election in Pima County now subject to a recount.
And then I can do a second pass using the same technique and find out
how many people filed an early ballot by stripping out those and
counting lines again (and doing basic subtraction).

Help? This is about a criminal ivestigation going on right now
regarding this election...

Thanks!

Jim March
---------------------------------------------------
PLUG-discuss mailing list -
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings:
http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss