chose linux basic interpreter or perl...

I hve to deal with text pattern eg matter,


I would to add

to-day we have a serious matter happen -t $file1

to-day we have a serious is in front of matter.

comma become -t $file1


what kind of computer language best handle sting / test manipulation?

the result is a pure test which can be vi in linux redhat file format.

I used to write a lot clipper , basic in windows ( dos) environment but not in linux environment.

Perl is the most suitable language for text manipulation, and it can do some very complex work relatively quickly and easily. It's also very handy to know if you use UNIX like machines at home or at work; I'm always finding ways of saving a lot of time and hassle with simple Perl scripts. But going for Perl requires a considerable time investment in learning it properly, and it maybe more than what you need.

You could also look at shell scripting, which might be sufficient for what you need, and wouldn't take as much learning.