Using read to prompt for editable user input in Bash 3

woodson2 · 11-27-2012, 11:54 AM

Below is a simple script to prompt for user input while suggesting an editable default value at the prompt:

Code:

shortname=user1

read -e -i $shortname -p "Please enter the username you would like to add: " input
USERNAME="${input:-$shortname}"

Please enter the username you would like to add: user1

The above is the expected and working output in BASH 4

If I try this same code in BASH 3 it doesn't work because this version does not support the "-i" switch.

I need some help getting the same result in BASH 3.
Thanks

custangro · 11-27-2012, 12:58 PM

What does -i do?

woodson2 · 11-27-2012, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by custangro

What does -i do?

-i text
If readline is being used to read the line, text is placed into the editing buffer before editing begins.

grail · 11-28-2012, 10:59 AM

Personally it seems like a bit of an overkill, so my suggestion would be to place your default name in brackets at the end of the prompt as most users would recognise
this to mean if they simply press enter then this will be the value used.

Code:

read -e -p "Please enter the username you would like to add:(user1) " input

David the H. · 11-28-2012, 11:18 AM

If there's no -i option, then there's simply no way to pre-load the text in the editing buffer, AFAIK. You'll just have to do without it. grail's suggestion of explicitly stating the default that will be used is about all that you can do.

Edit:
-i was added in 4.0-alpha
http://mywiki.wooledge.org/BashFAQ/061