When string is received from external file, AWK converts it to integer - incorrectly

Question

I have a strange AWK behaviour: a string inside an AWK script is converted to integer without a problem, but the same string - when received from outside, does not convert correctly to integer.

For instance, when the string total_bytes is received from within the script:

$ cat sample.awk 
END {
    total_bytes = "113402391" ;
    #total_bytes = $8
    total_bits = (total_bytes) * 8 ;
    print "Total transmitted bytes:", total_bytes ;
    print "Total transmitted bits:", total_bits ;
}
$ cat ./one_liner | awk -F, -f sample.awk 
Total transmitted bytes: 113402391
Total transmitted bits: 907219128
$

The total_bits variable is calculated correctly.

However, if I try to do the same using input from outside the AWK script:

$ cat sample.awk 
END {
    #total_bytes = "113402391" ;
    total_bytes = $8
    total_bits = (total_bytes) * 8 ;
    print "Total transmitted bytes:", total_bytes ;
    print "Total transmitted bits:", total_bits ;
}
$ cat one_liner 
"117403","885.406632000","192.168.0.25","192.168.0.26","TCP","60","8080 > 61165 [ACK] Seq=107051610 Ack=134 Win=262144 Len=0","113402391","2014-08-06 12:50:50.564785000"
$ cat ./one_liner | awk -F, -f sample.awk 
Total transmitted bytes: "113402391"
Total transmitted bits: 0
$ 

The total_bits variable is calculated incorrectly - as 0.

Environment:
OS: CYGWIN_NT-6.1-WOW64 1.7.29(0.272/5/3) i686 Cygwin
AWK: GNU Awk 4.1.1, API: 1.1 (GNU MPFR 3.1.2, GNU MP 6.0.0)

Answer 1

the cause is, your $8 is "xxxx" with quotes!

so what awk does is 8* "12334", it would be 0

kent$  awk 'BEGIN{print (8 * "\"10\"")}'
0

the quick solution is removing " from your $8 before going into the calculation.