script: #!/bin/bash current=$(wmctrl -d | awk '/\*/ {print $1}') currentopen="$(wmctrl -l | awk -v "curr=$current" 'curr==$2 {print $0; print "\n"}')" opennames=$(echo $currentopen | awk '{for (i=4; i <= NF; i++) printf("%s%c", $i, (i==NF)?ORS:OFS)}') echo $currentopen echo $opennames output: [kittykatt@arch-laptop][~]$ sh openwindowstest.sh 0x01200003 1 arch-laptop XChat: KittyKatt @ [1]FreeNode / #awk (+nt) 0x01400003 1 arch-laptop - kittykatt@arch-laptop:~ XChat: KittyKatt @ [1]FreeNode / #awk (+nt) 0x01400003 1 arch-laptop - kittykatt@arch-laptop:~ [kittykatt@arch-laptop][~]$