[SOLVED] How to Read a String and add it at the end in Unix

funonnet · 06-09-2010, 04:36 AM

Hi,

I want to read the line in the text file and get the string in the file and paste it in the directory column

for example i have a line like /ftp/prod/SWC1407.DOC

from this 1407 should be parsed and appended at the end of the move command

mv /ftp/prod/SWC1407.DOC /nfp/1407

could anyone help me in doing this...

Thanks in advance

grail · 06-09-2010, 05:11 AM

What have you tried? What language are you using (going to use)? Will the item being found always be numeric?
Will it always be prior to the decimal in the file name?

Basically, we need a little more information

theNbomr · 06-09-2010, 01:36 PM

It looks like you are trying to develop a shell script to automate some file moving.
I think what grail is saying is that even though you've given us an example of what you would get from one instance, there is not enough information to determine the pattern you want to use. To get from '/ftp/prod/SWC1407.DOC' to '/nfp/1407' there are many possible transformations that could work. We need you to explain with words what that pattern looks like. For example, "take all numeric characters immediately preceding the .DOC filename suffix and prepend with the directory name 'nfp/'". This would be my first guess at the pattern you want to use, but others would no doubt come up with different ones. What you've given us is a lot like asking "The answer is 7, what is the question?".
When you've thought about the problem as a transformation using patterns of characters, you will be well on the way to defining the solution to the problem. Regular expressions are all about defining and using patterns in the data (not that this problem necessarily requires regular expressions for a solution).
--- rod.

funonnet · 06-10-2010, 12:14 AM

Thanks for your time guys... and i m sorry for not being clear...

@theNbomr: Yes we are trying to automate a file moving process. we are using shell script for doing this.

my basic aim is to construct the move command with the inputs i am getting like the file location is obtained in the variable i want to use it as the source.

and also i want to get the numeric value before that extension and append it at the end of destination in the move command...

@grail: i am using shell script to do this and yes the value will always be before the decimal point...

thanks...

funonnet · 06-10-2010, 02:43 AM

Thanks for your time guys

i got it worked with

$(echo $FILE_NAME|cut -c7-10)

Thank you...

grail · 06-10-2010, 02:57 AM

I am glad you found an answer, but I thought I would just point out that if your filename changes length, ie more than 10 characters, the above will not work

If you know that they all will be the same then no probs

funonnet · 06-11-2010, 05:54 AM

@grail: thanks for the info grail. the length of filename wouldn't change but could you tell me how to deal in those cases so that i could learn something

grail · 06-11-2010, 09:53 AM

Well I thought firstly I would have a closer look at your "solution" and it seems it does not work for me at least not the output I would
have expected. Now correct me if I am wrong but from your snippet I have made the following assumptions:

1. Still using original example - /ftp/prod/SWC1407.DOC
2. You have an earlier piece of code stripping the file name from the path

With this in mind I ran the following:

Code:

FILE_NAME=SWC1407.DOC

echo $FILE_NAME|cut -c7-10

The output of this for me is:

Code:

7.DO

Which doesn't really look right to me

But in answer to your question:
[quote]could you tell me how to deal in those cases so that i could learn something[/code]
Here is one possible way:

Code:

var=/ftp/prod/SWC1407.DOC

file_name=$(basename $var)

echo ${file_name//[^0-9]/}

Output for this is:

Code: