[SOLVED] bash variable as parameter to script

atomicdog · 05-10-2011, 12:33 AM

Hi,

I want to create a variable that when passed as a parameter to another bash script will keep its string quotes (so it stays as one parameter). What ways can I achieve this cleanly? I found one way of doing it but it doesn't look like an optimal choice to me.

Thanks, John

Code:

john@ubuntu:/usr/local/src$ cat foo.sh 
#!/bin/bash

echo $0
echo $1
echo $2
john@ubuntu:/usr/local/src$ cat build-foo-test.sh 
#!/bin/bash
TOP=pwd
GCC_IGNORE="'boehm-gc gnattools libada libffi libgfortran libgomp libjava libobjc libssp .svn'"

# This works...
./foo.sh ../gcc-4.5 "`echo ${GCC_IGNORE}`"

# I would like it to look like this though...
./foo.sh ../gcc-4.5 $GCC_IGNORE

Code:

john@ubuntu:/usr/local/src$ . build-foo-test.sh 
./foo.sh
../gcc-4.5
'boehm-gc gnattools libada libffi libgfortran libgomp libjava libobjc libssp .svn'
./foo.sh
../gcc-4.5
'boehm-gc
john@ubuntu:/usr/local/src$

Code:

john@ubuntu:/usr/local/src$ uname --all
Linux ubuntu 2.6.32-30-generic #59-Ubuntu SMP Tue Mar 1 21:30:46 UTC 2011 x86_64 GNU/Linux
john@ubuntu:/usr/local/src$ bash --version
GNU bash, version 4.1.5(1)-release (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu)
Copyright (C) 2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>

This is free software; you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
john@ubuntu:/usr/local/src$

brownie_cookie · 05-10-2011, 01:26 AM

maybe put the echo in the variable GCC_IGNORE ?

atomicdog · 05-14-2011, 01:40 PM

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. I just tried your suggestion again but it still doesn't seem to work.

r3sistance · 05-14-2011, 04:24 PM

I'd suggest looking into escape characters maybe?

so using \' and again another \'...

as an example the following code shows how this can be used to get different outputs

Code:

#!/bin/bash
MYSTRING="hello, keep me quoted"
MYFIRSTFUNC="echo \"$MYSTRING\""
MYSECONDFUNC="echo $MYSTRING"
echo "value of first func: $MYFIRSTFUNC"
$MYFIRSTFUNC
echo "value of second func: $MYSECONDFUNC"
$MYSECONDFUNC

This will output as follows

value of first func: echo "hello, keep me quoted"
"hello, keep me quoted"
value of second func: echo hello, keep me quoted
hello, keep me quoted

as you can see, the first func keeps the value quoted.

grail · 05-14-2011, 08:50 PM

I am not sure I understand the issue??

Code:

#!/bin/bash

m2f()
{
    echo "$1"
}

myf()
{
    echo "$1"
    m2f "$1"
}

x="'hello this is quoted'"

echo "$x"

myf "$x"

As long as x is passed quoted it retains the internal quotes. Would someone explain if we are talking about something else?

astromime · 05-15-2011, 12:19 PM

maybe try using an array?

atomicdog · 05-16-2011, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by r3sistance

I'd suggest looking into escape characters maybe?
...
This will output as follows

value of first func: echo "hello, keep me quoted"
"hello, keep me quoted"
value of second func: echo hello, keep me quoted
hello, keep me quoted

as you can see, the first func keeps the value quoted.

It doesn't work as a parameter to another script for some reason.

Code:

john@ubuntu:/usr/local/src$ cat r3sistance 
#!/bin/bash

LIST="boehm-gc gnattools libada libffi libgfortran libgomp libjava libobjc libssp .svn"

GCC_IGNORE="echo \"$LIST\""

./foo.sh ../gcc-4.5 $GCC_IGNORE

$GCC_IGNORE

john@ubuntu:/usr/local/src$ . r3sistance 
./foo.sh
../gcc-4.5
echo
"boehm-gc gnattools libada libffi libgfortran libgomp libjava libobjc libssp .svn"

atomicdog · 05-16-2011, 12:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grail

...

Code:

x="'hello this is quoted'"

echo "$x"

myf "$x"

As long as x is passed quoted it retains the internal quotes. Would someone explain if we are talking about something else?

Yeah this is what I wanted, Thanks.
I thought I tried that already.

I think I got so frustrated trying different things that I wasn't keeping track of exactly what I tried already. I probable tried passing it with the quotes but the variable had only single/double quote(which doesn't work) instead of having the double quotes wrapping the single quotes.

grail · 05-16-2011, 02:49 AM

You can use the quotes in either direction, ie. "'blah'" or '"blah"', but of course the second will not expand variables, although some times this
can be the desired affect