Awk Error

I am trying to execute the following on AIX

echo testing | awk '{x} {print substr($x,1,3)}'

But it comes out with the following error:

awk: 0602-550 A statement occurred that is not valid.

The input line number is 1.

The source line number is 1.

Can someone pls tell me what is it that i have gotten wrong. The same
thing is working on another server. Is there any configruation or
profile setting which I am missing

With gawk 3.1.3 on Linux, I get this response:

echo testing | awk '{x} {print substr($x,1,3)}'
tes

You are using some ancient broken AWK implementation.

It may be the substr() function which may be missing in the AWK on your AIX.
It may also be the semicolon (

between the curly braces that you failed to insert.

How do I find the version of awk in AIX?
In linux i can do awk --version and it works

The fact that you can't do that is all you need to know. You're using
old, broken awk. Use GNU awk (gawk) or New awk (nawk) or
/usr/xgp4/bin/awk if you were on Solaris.

And please don't top-post. Ed.

AWK on our AIX 4.3 and 5.2 has no way to find out version.
But the man page suggests that the AWK on AIX is a nawk-variant.

Yes, that's a gawk in disguise.

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2 31st October 18:10 juergen kahrs External User Posts: 1	Awk Error With gawk 3.1.3 on Linux, I get this response: echo testing \| awk '{x} {print substr($x,1,3)}' tes You are using some ancient broken AWK implementation. It may be the substr() function which may be missing in the AWK on your AIX. It may also be the semicolon ( between the curly braces that you failed to insert.

3 31st October 18:10 chettiar External User Posts: 1	Awk Error How do I find the version of awk in AIX? In linux i can do awk --version and it works

4 31st October 18:10 ed morton External User Posts: 1	Awk Error The fact that you can't do that is all you need to know. You're using old, broken awk. Use GNU awk (gawk) or New awk (nawk) or /usr/xgp4/bin/awk if you were on Solaris. And please don't top-post. Ed.

5 31st October 18:10 juergen kahrs External User Posts: 1	Awk Error AWK on our AIX 4.3 and 5.2 has no way to find out version. But the man page suggests that the AWK on AIX is a nawk-variant. Yes, that's a gawk in disguise.