How to output first character of a word in capital?

Hi_This_is_Dev · 09-28-2009, 04:29 PM

Kindly consider:

Code:

-bash-2.05b# echo $v | tr [a-z] [A-Z]
HELLO
-bash-2.05b#

Well, I want the output in the format given below:

Code:

Hello

How can we achieve it?

In fact, I am doing this:

Code:

echo "Welcome, $USER!"

Output from the script file:

Code:

-bash-2.05b# ./welcome.sh
Welcome, root!
-bash-2.05b#

and want to display the user's name as Root instead of root or whatevever value is stored in the variable being used.

Any ideas?

neonsignal · 09-28-2009, 06:22 PM

If you want to use commands like tr, then you can do this:

Code:

echo $USER | head -c 1 | tr [a-z] [A-Z]; echo $USER | tail -c +2

Or you might use perl:

Code:

perl -e "print ucfirst($USER)"

PTrenholme · 09-28-2009, 06:23 PM

Try this:

Code:

#!/bin/bash
name=$USER
[ $# -ne 0 ] && name=$1
echo Welcome ${name^}!

(Actually, just echo Welcome ${USER^}! should do. The fluff in the code is so it can be tested.)

Hi_This_is_Dev · 09-28-2009, 09:01 PM

This doesn't yeild the desired result:

Code:

-bash-2.05b# echo $USER | head -c 1 | tr [a-z] [A-Z]; echo $v | tail -c +1
r
-bash-2.05b# echo $USER | head -c 1 | tr [a-z] [A-Z]
-bash-2.05b#  echo $v | tail -c +1

-bash-2.05b# v=hi
-bash-2.05b# echo $v | tail -c +1
hi
-bash-2.05b#

Hey, this does one works!

Code:

-bash-2.05b# perl -e "print ucfirst($USER)"
Root-bash-2.05b#

Thanks buddy!

Quote:

Originally Posted by neonsignal

If you want to use commands like tr, then you can do this:

Code:

echo $USER | head -c 1 | tr [a-z] [A-Z]; echo $v | tail -c +1

Or you might use perl:

Code:

perl -e "print ucfirst($USER)"

Hi_This_is_Dev · 09-28-2009, 09:06 PM

After running the script I get this error:

Code:

-bash-2.05b# cat cap.sh
me=$USER
[ $# -ne 0 ] && name=$1
echo Welcome ${name^}!

-bash-2.05b#
-bash-2.05b# ./cap.sh
./cap.sh: line 3: ${name^}!: bad substitution
-bash-2.05b#

Quote:

Originally Posted by PTrenholme

Try this:

Code:

#!/bin/bash
name=$USER
[ $# -ne 0 ] && name=$1
echo Welcome ${name^}!

(Actually, just echo Welcome ${USER^}! should do. The fluff in the code is so it can be tested.)

By the way, thanks to you!

David the H. · 09-28-2009, 09:44 PM

"${VARIABLE^}" is a new bash version 4 substitution. It doesn't exist in previous releases.

The OP's prompt shows that he's using bash 2.05, so it naturally won't work for him. But it does lead to the question as to why he's running such an old version.