Previously-functional gawk script now failing to execute - PLEASE HELP!!!

[Lee]

On 9/15/21, Bryan VanSchouwen via Cygwin wrote:
> Hello.
>
> I just tried executing an old, previously-functional awk script using a
> version of gawk that I had downloaded last year, and a command of the
> following format (as recommended in a previous communication with the
> Cygwin mailing list):
> gawk -vRS="\r\n" -f data_collect_e_-_FF_4-state.awk
> but this time, the script failed to execute!!

The data file you attached doesn't have "\r\n" line endings:
$ file rpcg_FF_filtrd.txt
rpcg_FF_filtrd.txt: ASCII text

compare with one that does:
$ file test.txt
test.txt: ASCII text, with CRLF line terminators

<.. snip ..>
> What the heck is going on with this software, and is there a way to fix
> it?!

I don't use RS and start my awk scripts off with
  sub("\r$", "", $0)  # fix any \r\n line endings
so my scripts work with either flavor of line endings.

If you don't want to change your script try changing your input
  unix2dos <your text files>

Regards,
Lee