[efrecon]

Because awk understands "columns" better.

echo '999 888' | awk '{print $2}'

prints 888

[cluckindan]

How is that different from

    echo '999 888' | cut -f2 -d " "

except for the default delimiter being space for awk?

[Eduard]

   echo '999  888' | cut -f2 -d " " # notice two consecutive spaces

returns NULL.

[bregma]

How can it be "better" when it is exactly the same?