[SOLVED] Grepping and testing for comments

djeikyb · 01-26-2009, 05:06 PM

I'm trying to have my script read through a file and run function foo on lines that don't start with a "#". So for a file containing:

Code:

# vegetables
squash:squash
tomato:tomatoes

# fruit
apple:apples
papaya:papaya

and a script:

Code:

  1 #!/bin/bash
  2
  3 amount=$1
  4 measure=$2
  5
  6 while read line
  7 do
  8         a=`echo "$line" | egrep "^#"`
  9         #echo $a
 10         if [ -z $a ]; then null=
 11         else echo $a; fi
 12 done < ./ingredients

I get output:

Code:

./sample-measure-conversion: line 10: [: #: binary operator expected
# vegetables
./sample-measure-conversion: line 10: [: #: binary operator expected
# fruit

Any ideas what's up?

alan_ri · 01-26-2009, 05:20 PM

Try to put quotes in line 10,like this;

Code:

10         if [ -z "$a" ]; then null=

norobro · 01-26-2009, 06:48 PM

deleted

djeikyb · 01-27-2009, 01:21 AM

That works, thanks!