regex - Sed to extract text between two strings -

please me in using sed. have file below.

start=a   xxxxx   xxxxx end start=a   xxxxx   xxxxx end start=a   xxxxx   xxxxx end start=b   xxxxx   xxxxx end start=a   xxxxx   xxxxx end start=c   xxxxx   xxxxx end start=a   xxxxx   xxxxx end start=d   xxxxx   xxxxx end 

i want text between start=a, end. used below query.

sed '/^start=a/, / ^end/!d' input_file 

the problem here , getting

start=a   xxxxx   xxxxx end start=d   xxxxx   xxxxx end 

instead of

start=a   xxxxx   xxxxx end 

sed finds greedily.

please me in resolvng this.

thanks in advance.

can use awk achieving above?

sed -n '/^start=a$/,/^end$/p' data 

the -n option means don't print default; script says 'do print between line containing start=a , next end.

you can awk:

a pattern may consist of 2 patterns separated comma; in case, action performed lines occurrence of first pattern though occurrence of second.

(from man awk on mac os x).

awk '/^start=a$/,/^end$/ { print }' data 

given modified form of data file in question:

start=a   xxx01   xxx02 end start=a   xxx03   xxx04 end start=a   xxx05   xxx06 end start=b   xxx07   xxx08 end start=a   xxx09   xxx10 end start=c   xxx11   xxx12 end start=a   xxx13   xxx14 end start=d   xxx15   xxx16 end 

the output using gnu sed or mac os x (bsd) sed, , using gnu awk or bsd awk, same:

start=a   xxx01   xxx02 end start=a   xxx03   xxx04 end start=a   xxx05   xxx06 end start=a   xxx09   xxx10 end start=a   xxx13   xxx14 end 

note how modified data file easier see various blocks of data printed came in file.

if have different output requirement (such 'only first block between start=a , end', or 'only last ...'), need articulate more in question.