LinuxQuestions.org - [SOLVED] Script error: "syntax error near unexpected token 'then'"

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Script error: "syntax error near unexpected token 'then'"

Hi all, very new at this and completely stumped as to what's gone wrong here. I'm trying to get this script working, it's supposed to give me options of typing B to backup a folder, typing R to restore the backup, and typing E to exit.

Code:

#!/bin/sh



backup=”B”

restore=”R”

exit=”E”



# backup all files from a specified location to a date stamped folder

echo –n “To backup the backups folder, type B and press Enter.”

echo –n “To restore the backup, type R and press Enter.”

echo –n “To exit, type E and press Enter.”



read entry



if [ “entry” == “backup” ]; 

then

tar zc /home/Rory/backups -f /home/Rory/archive/Rory-`date+%d%m%y`.tar.gz; then

echo –n “Backup complete.”

echo –n “To backup the backups folder, type B and press Enter.”

echo –n “To restore the backup, type R and press Enter.”

echo –n “To exit, type E and press Enter.”; then



read entry

#“Rory-`date+%d%m%y`.tar.gz” creates “Rory-20May2011.tar.gz” etc.









if [ “entry” == “restore” ]; then

tar –xvwzf Rory-`date+%d%m%y`.tar.gz; then

echo –n “Restore complete.”

echo –n “To backup the backups folder, type B and press Enter.”

echo –n “To restore the backup, type R and press Enter.”

echo –n “To exit, type E and press Enter.”; then



read entry

#restores backup



If [ “entry” == “exit” ]; then

Exit

# Exits the program

else

echo –n “Invalid entry. Please type B, R or E.”; then

read entry



fi

When I attempt to run the script, I get my echos prompting me to type B, R or E and press enter. When I type B and press Enter, I get this:

Code:

line 18: syntax error near unexpected token 'then'

line 18: 'then'

Can anyone help a newbie out? ><

It's not on line 18 in the posted script but the then on tar zc /home/Rory/backups -f /home/Rory/archive/Rory-`date+%d%m%y`.tar.gz; then is not right.

EDIT: and if [ “entry” == “backup” ]; shuold be if [ “$entry” == “backup” ];

Quote:

tar zc /home/Rory/backups -f /home/Rory/archive/Rory-`date+%d%m%y`.tar.gz; then

Duplicate instruction bolded. It's also not the only time you did it. This mistake occurs multiple times in the script.

Here's a simple example of how to code a conditional in bash: http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Bash-Prog-Intro-HOWTO-6.html

Look at line 18?

Code:

tar zc /home/Rory/backups -f /home/Rory/archive/Rory-`date+%d%m%y`.tar.gz; then

That then should not be there.

Thanks for the replies guys - I removed all the "then"s and added the $ where required, but although that particular error is gone, I'm now getting the same error again but for "fi" instead of "then". And yet again, I'm completely lost. ><

As the link I gave demonstrates, the syntax of a bash conditional statement is as follows:

Code:

if [ test ]; then

  <commands to run if true>

fi

Or,

Code:

fi [ test ]; then

  <commands to run if true> 

else

  <commands to run if false>

fi

The function of fi is to mark the end of the conditional statement.

If you need more specific assistance, please post the updated version of your script.

Still pretty lost >< This is how my code looks right now:

Code:

#!/bin/sh



backup=”B”

restore=”R”

exit=”E”



echo –n “To backup the backups folder, type B and press Enter.”

echo –n “To restore the backup, type R and press Enter.”

echo –n “To exit, type E and press Enter.”



read entry



if [[ “$entry” == “backup” ]]; 



tar zc /home/Rory/backups -f /home/Rory/archive/Rory-`date+%d%m%y`.tar.gz; 



echo –n “Backup complete.”

echo –n “To backup the backups folder, type B and press Enter.”

echo –n “To restore the backup, type R and press Enter.”

echo –n “To exit, type E and press Enter.”;



fi



read entry



if [ “$entry” == “restore” ]; 



tar –xvwzf Rory-`date+%d%m%y`.tar.gz;



echo –n “Restore complete.”

echo –n “To backup the backups folder, type B and press Enter.”

echo –n “To restore the backup, type R and press Enter.”

echo –n “To exit, type E and press Enter.”;



fi



read entry



if [ “$entry” == “exit” ];

exit



echo –n “Invalid entry. Please type B, R or E.”; then

read entry

fi



fi

This is a corrected version of your script (please check the differences):

Code:

#!/bin/sh



backup="B"

restore="R"

exit="E"



echo "To backup the backups folder, type B and press Enter."

echo "To restore the backup, type R and press Enter."

echo "To exit, type E and press Enter."



read entry



if [[ "$entry" == "$backup" ]]

then 



  tar zc /home/Rory/backups -f /home/Rory/archive/Rory-`date +%d%m%y`.tar.gz 



  echo "Backup complete."

  echo "To backup the backups folder, type B and press Enter."

  echo "To restore the backup, type R and press Enter."

  echo "To exit, type E and press Enter.";



fi



read entry



if [[ "$entry" == "$restore" ]]

then



  tar -xvwzf Rory-`date +%d%m%y`.tar.gz



  echo "Restore complete."

  echo "To backup the backups folder, type B and press Enter."

  echo "To restore the backup, type R and press Enter."

  echo "To exit, type E and press Enter."



fi



read entry



if [[ "$entry" == "$exit" ]]

then

  exit

else

  echo "Invalid entry. Please type B, R or E."

  read entry

fi

Anyway, if I were you I would consider the case/esac construct to avoid multiple if/then. Moreover it will work as you expect if you use a loop to read the user input multiple times, instead of repeating it randomly inside the script.

Thanks for the corrections colucix - the old errors are now gone, but I'm now getting a new one:

Code:

line 45: unexpected EOF while looking for matching "

line 48: syntax error: unexpected end of file

I've been trying to figure this out and fix it but nothing I try is working ><'

I cannot see any non-matching " in the script above. Can you post the updated version of your script?

I'm using the corrected version of the script that you have already posted, I've checked it over several times and mine is definately the same.

This is line 45 in the corrected script:

Code:

echo "Invalid entry. Please type B, R or E."

Looks like the quotes match up to me.

Again... post what you have.

Alright, but it's exactly the same as a few posts above:

Code:

#!/bin/sh



backup="B"

restore="R"

exit="E"



echo "To backup the backups folder, type B and press Enter."

echo "To restore the backup, type R and press Enter."

echo "To exit, type E and press Enter."



read entry



if [[ "$entry" == "$backup" ]]

then 



  tar zc /home/Rory/backups -f /home/Rory/archive/Rory-`date +%d%m%y`.tar.gz 



  echo "Backup complete."

  echo "To backup the backups folder, type B and press Enter."

  echo "To restore the backup, type R and press Enter."

  echo "To exit, type E and press Enter.";



fi



read entry



if [[ "$entry" == "$restore" ]]

then



  tar -xvwzf Rory-`date +%d%m%y`.tar.gz



  echo "Restore complete."

  echo "To backup the backups folder, type B and press Enter."

  echo "To restore the backup, type R and press Enter."

  echo "To exit, type E and press Enter."



fi



read entry



if [[ "$entry" == "$exit" ]]

then

  exit

else

  echo "Invalid entry. Please type B, R or E."

  read entry

fi

Indeed it looks right. Every double quote pair is perfectly matched. I really don't know what happens. :confused:

What about executing the script with debugging on, i.e.

Code:

#!/bin/sh -x

as first line.