[SOLVED] BASH: Global Variables

carolflb · 01-23-2010, 06:36 AM

Hi all,

I have a problem with a very big script I wrote in bash, and now I need to modulirize it in at least four smaller scripts. The problem is, that most of the variables I have will need to be shared by all scripts.

My question is: is there a way to declare global variables in bash? So that I can use and change them in any of the scripts and every change in the variable can be "seen" by the other scripts later.

konzo · 01-23-2010, 07:09 AM

Did you try with export? Example:

export VAR="set"

or

export VAR="set" script.sh or export VAR="set" sh script.sh in command line.

Be sure that the script is executable.

carolflb · 01-23-2010, 07:16 AM

Hi konzo,

yes I tried the "export" command and it works once I'm passing the value of the variable from script1 to script2, then a change it in script2 to a new value. But once script2 ends and script1 is activated again, the new value from the variable is not used further. Script1 still has the old value, passed before to script2. Is there a solution for that?

neonsignal · 01-23-2010, 07:51 AM

If you use the built-in source command to invoke the child scripts from the main script, then the variables will be shared (you won't even need to export them to the child scripts).

carolflb · 01-23-2010, 08:55 AM

Hi neonsignal,

the solution with "source" works perfectly! Many thanks