indexcol

indexcol is a command-line utility designed to facilitate the manipulation and analysis of tabular data, particularly in text-based formats. It allows users to select, reorder, filter, and transform columns within a dataset efficiently. The primary function of indexcol is to treat each column in a data file as an independent unit that can be manipulated by its index or a user-defined name.

The tool operates by reading input data, typically from standard input or a specified file, and then applies a series of operations to the columns. These operations can include selecting specific columns by their numerical position (e.g., the first, third, or fifth column), reordering columns to change their sequence, or filtering rows based on conditions applied to the values within certain columns. indexcol supports various delimiters, making it versatile for working with different CSV, TSV, or other delimited file formats.

Its usefulness stems from its ability to perform common data wrangling tasks without requiring complex scripting or loading entire datasets into memory-intensive applications. This makes it a valuable tool for data scientists, analysts, and anyone working with command-line data processing, especially when dealing with large files where performance and resource efficiency are important considerations. The simplicity of its interface allows for quick and repeatable data transformations.