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bash shell script to use getopts with gnu style long positional parameters

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Posted 11-03-2009 at 06:04 PM by roybal

Here's a script that will accept --gnu-style-long-parameters and interpret them appropriately.

http://kirk.webfinish.com/2009/10/ba...al-parameters/

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Coincidentally, I've just gone through this very exercise. Your approach is an interesting alternative to mine, and I'll bear it mind for the future.

FYI, my approach in this case was to simply use all short options for the script itself, and then convert them to the long options in the case statement. It wouldn't work for something with a large set of options, too messy.

For example, the application takes a long option of --file filename, I use -f in the script:

Code:

case $opts in
  f)
     file="--file $OPTARG"
     ;;
esac

# call the app
app "$file"

A quick question, you, and the examples in the docs, use "eval set -- $args". I can't figure out the reason for the eval. Couldn't you simply use "set -- $args" to put the params into $1, $2, etc.

Cheers,
Nick

Posted 11-04-2009 at 07:13 AM by padeen padeen is offline

Quote:

Originally Posted by padeen

The eval is there because parameters (like long file names with spaces) will get expanded to multiple parameters. I can add quotes around the parameters to "group" them again, but I need the eval to get 'set' to accept the quoted arguments.

/bithead

Posted 11-17-2009 at 01:46 PM by roybal roybal is offline