How to use sed to replace only the first occurrence in a file?

Question

I would like to update a large number of C++ source files with an extra include directive before any existing #includes. For this sort of task, I normally use a small bash s

Answer 1

sed -e 's/pattern/REPLACEMENT/1' <INPUTFILE

Answer 2

#!/bin/sed -f
1,/^#include/ {
    /^#include/i\
#include "newfile.h"
}

How this script works: For lines between 1 and the first #include (after line 1), if the line starts with #include, then prepend the specified line.

However, if the first #include is in line 1, then both line 1 and the next subsequent #include will have the line prepended. If you are using GNU sed, it has an extension where 0,/^#include/ (instead of 1,) will do the right thing.

Answer 3

Just add the number of occurrence at the end:

sed s/#include/#include "newfile.h"\n#include/1

Answer 4

This might work for you (GNU sed):

sed -si '/#include/{s//& "newfile.h\n&/;:a;$!{n;ba}}' file1 file2 file....

or if memory is not a problem:

sed -si ':a;$!{N;ba};s/#include/& "newfile.h\n&/' file1 file2 file...

Answer 5

POSIXly (also valid in sed), Only one regex used, need memory only for one line (as usual):

sed '/\(#include\).*/!b;//{h;s//\1 "newfile.h"/;G};:1;n;b1'

Explained:

sed '
/\(#include\).*/!b          # Only one regex used. On lines not matching
                            # the text  `#include` **yet**,
                            # branch to end, cause the default print. Re-start.
//{                         # On first line matching previous regex.
    h                       # hold the line.
    s//\1 "newfile.h"/      # append ` "newfile.h"` to the `#include` matched.
    G                       # append a newline.
  }                         # end of replacement.
:1                          # Once **one** replacement got done (the first match)
n                           # Loop continually reading a line each time
b1                          # and printing it by default.
'                           # end of sed script.