howto set 'locale LC_ALL=$MYVAR' within a script??

minike · 01-26-2007, 07:23 PM

hello.. as in the subject, I cannot set that.
I've tryied lot of combinations, like

Code:

LOC="es_CO"
#first:
echo `LC_ALL=$LOC` 
#other:
echo `export LC_ALL=$LOC` 
#other:
`export LC_ALL=$LOC`
#other:
export LC_ALL=$LOC  
#and so on...

no one works.
anybody knows how to set that within a script, and take effect inmediatly as when we type "export LC_ALL=some_THING" in the shell?

tanks in advance

FnordPerfect · 01-26-2007, 07:32 PM

Hmm.. well, the last one should have worked!

for your interest, this backticks (``) don't belong there. They mean, everything (shell commands) between them would be executed in a sub-shell with its own shell environment.
Use double-quotes ("") instead.
Also, echo `export LC_ALL=$LOC` doesn't make sense to me at all.

minike · 01-26-2007, 07:39 PM

nopes, it netiher doesn't work..
really strange ..or I just don't know how to handle it..

if anybody can suggest something it'll be appreciated

dunric · 01-26-2007, 09:40 PM

If I understand your problem correctly, you may need to source your script with LOC="es_CO" and export LC_ALL=$LOC expressions to affect current shell.

Code:

minike@mycomp:~$ source myscript

See man bash for details.

H_TeXMeX_H · 01-26-2007, 09:43 PM

Type the following commands in the shell and tell me the output:

Code:

echo $LOC
LOC='test'
echo $LOC
export LC_ALL=$LOC
echo $LC_ALL

This worked for me both in a script and interactively ... I didn't need to source or anything.

minike · 01-26-2007, 10:20 PM

thanks 4 answering, pals

dunric:
yes, you're right but look: you have to perform in interactive-mode the source myFile ... exactly what I don't need.. that's a job I need to be performed by the script.. in fact, I already tryied out to 'source myfile' within' another script..with no results.
it's look like those settings must be done only in interactive mode.. or I don't know howto make'em work from a script.. as far I know only that those (source and export) are not idependents progs, but build-in functions of the shell.
btw: I alerady saw man bash as well.

H_TeXMeX_H:
here I post what you ask for:

Code:

jp@tyson:~$ echo $LOC

jp@tyson:~$ LOC='test'
jp@tyson:~$ echo $LOC
test
jp@tyson:~$ export LC_ALL=$LOC
jp@tyson:~$ echo $LC_ALL
test

but.. don't know for what you need this.

any idea?

tnx-a-lot

H_TeXMeX_H · 01-26-2007, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by minike

H_TeXMeX_H:
here I post what you ask for:

Code:

jp@tyson:~$ echo $LOC

jp@tyson:~$ LOC='test'
jp@tyson:~$ echo $LOC
test
jp@tyson:~$ export LC_ALL=$LOC
jp@tyson:~$ echo $LC_ALL
test

but.. don't know for what you need this.

any idea?

Well, from what I can see, the commands work just fine. You can put them in a script and they will work just the same.

How do you know the commands don't work ?

Or, in other words, what is the purpose of the script, what does it need to do ? What about it doesn't work ? (specifically)

minike · 01-26-2007, 11:57 PM

yes, in theory it's simple:
imagine a script asking 4 the locale setting, wolud be something like this:

Code:

#!/bin/sh
echo "insert value:";read OPT
export LC_ALL=$OPT

but, the best way to illustrate what's going on, is printing it... look this "u" script code:

Code:

#!/bin/sh
LOC="es_ES"
export LC_ALL=$LOC
echo `locale`

..and now, its output:

Code:

$ u
LANG=es_AR LC_CTYPE="es_ES" LC_NUMERIC="es_ES" LC_TIME="es_ES" LC_COLLATE="es_ES" LC_MONETARY="es_ES" LC_MESSAGES="es_ES" LC_PAPER="es_ES" LC_NAME="es_ES" LC_ADDRESS="es_ES" LC_TELEPHONE="es_ES" LC_MEASUREMENT="es_ES" LC_IDENTIFICATION="es_ES" LC_ALL=es_ES

at this point we can say "it's working!" ..but.. once finished, look a the locale output (in interactive-mode):

Code:

$ locale
LANG=es_AR
LC_CTYPE="es_AR"
LC_NUMERIC="es_AR"
LC_TIME="es_AR"
LC_COLLATE=C
LC_MONETARY="es_AR"
LC_MESSAGES="es_AR"
LC_PAPER="es_AR"
LC_NAME="es_AR"
LC_ADDRESS="es_AR"
LC_TELEPHONE="es_AR"
LC_MEASUREMENT="es_AR"
LC_IDENTIFICATION="es_AR"
LC_ALL=

as you can see.. the enviroment variables setted within a script seems to affect just to a sub-shell (and dying with it), leaving intact the "general" or "more-up" EVs

Im reading "the Unix programming enviroment" right now.. (an archeological document, I know) it's says something related to the "dot operator" which makes the command in a script to be executed in the actual shell, and not in a subshell.. but in practice I cannot make it work.

as far the only I know is it's envolved a shell/sub-shell situation in all of this.. but cannot find a solution..

minike · 01-27-2007, 12:26 AM

read this -from the advanced bash script book-

Quote:

A script can export variables only to child processes, that is, only to commands or processes which that particular script initiates. A script invoked from the command line cannot export variables back to the command line environment. Child processes cannot export variables back to the parent processes that spawned them.

guess it's time to look 4 a solution in another direction..

dunric · 01-27-2007, 04:43 AM

You saw the bash manual page but probably didn't read

. filename [arguments]
source filename [arguments]
Read and execute commands from filename in the current shell environment ...

Contents of the rtfm script file:

Code:

#!/bin/sh
echo "insert value:";read OPT
export LC_ALL=$OPT

Source it to be executed in current shell, enter required value:

Code:

minike@mycomp:~$ locale
LANG=es_AR
LC_CTYPE="es_AR"
LC_NUMERIC="es_AR"
LC_TIME="es_AR"
LC_COLLATE=C
LC_MONETARY="es_AR"
LC_MESSAGES="es_AR"
LC_PAPER="es_AR"
LC_NAME="es_AR"
LC_ADDRESS="es_AR"
LC_TELEPHONE="es_AR"
LC_MEASUREMENT="es_AR"
minike@mycomp:~$ source rtfm
es_ES
minike@mycomp:~$ locale
LANG=es_ES
LC_CTYPE="es_ES"
LC_NUMERIC="es_ES"
LC_TIME="es_ES"
LC_COLLATE=C
LC_MONETARY="es_ES"
LC_MESSAGES="es_ES"
LC_PAPER="es_ES"
LC_NAME="es_ES"
LC_ADDRESS="es_ES"
LC_TELEPHONE="es_ES"
LC_MEASUREMENT="es_ES"

You had to listen more carefully next time

minike · 01-29-2007, 02:11 AM

sorry about the delay posting here, but you know: no news, good news..
and mine were xactly that: this issue was fixed and I hurry up to finish the proggy involving all of this.

dunric:
despite of your last post gave me the idea of what to do, it continued having the problem I was traying to avoid: I didn't wanted to use the "source" word.. but just the script name. that was all about.
guess at this point is fair to tell how I did it:

here's the script that cannot be sourced by itself.. this is the solution I found:

Code:

#!/bin/sh
# this script is called ABC

echo "insert value:";read OPT
#here I don't try to source anymore, but
# ..I create a target file containing the options
echo "export LC_ALL=$OPT" > temp.file

what do we have at this point?
.a script owning the app name
.a file containging the results
but, again.. need the "source" world! this app is simplifying nothing at all!
how to invoke a script to perform a souce that it cannot perform??
...simple (I love this part):

Code:

echo "alias ABC='/usr/bin/ABC ; source temp.file'" >> /etc/profile

isn't it beauty?
--don't suggest to just change the name of /usr/bin/ABC,
coz it'll be invoked during boot-time as well, and invocation won't be to an alias.. at last the user don't have why to know all of this details, just one command.

want to thanks to all of you pals, just to be here helping eachother and making things work!

best regards!!