Help with creating a small script ?

Sabinou · 06-20-2006, 03:38 AM

Hello folks

I'm totally new to scripting (I only created one before, and it was six lines long ^^), so my question is plainly : can you tell me if the script I want to create is something possible ?

Here's what I want to do : it's to create a script that, when ran from inside a folder, will start an existing command-line program, add the current folder's name to the program's parameters (i.e. -s "folder's name"), and add *.* to the parameters.

The program works fine when I manually add the folder's name and *.* to its parameters, but that's a hassle, I'd love a way to automatize that.

I know that may look foolish for a question, but I honestly don't know if that's something possible.
Can you tell me if that can be done ? (erm, and how ? ^_^)

Thanks

cs-cam · 06-20-2006, 03:42 AM

Code:

#!/bin/sh

/usr/bin/programname -s $(pwd) *.*
exit 0

One-liner

Sabinou · 06-20-2006, 05:36 AM

Awesome ^_^
Thanks Cs-cam ^_^
I'll remember that !

But erm, I noticed on the trying a little problem : that only works if there aren't spaces in the folder's name or in the path to the folder :/
Is there maybe a solution, or... not, in your opinion ?

binary_y2k2 · 06-20-2006, 05:41 AM

You need to set the IFS variable in the script, eg

Code:

#!/bin/sh
IFS=$'\n'
/usr/bin/programname -s $(pwd) *.*
exit 0

binary_y2k2 · 06-20-2006, 05:44 AM

Or I think it would work if you put quotes around $(pwd), so it would be "$(pwd)"

cs-cam · 06-20-2006, 06:42 AM

The quotes would be a neater solution and would work just as well. Changing variables like IFS can lead to trouble if say you decided to expand the script later you might get some odd behaviour.

Sabinou · 06-20-2006, 06:44 AM

Thanks Binary_y2k2, with quotes, the spaces are taken into account

Things are getting surprising : I tested, and observed one unexpected problem : the thing that is taken into account isn't only the folder name... it's the full path including the folder name !

Let's say my folder is in "/home/sabin/folders/folder I want to process", then the name that will be processed will be ""/home/sabin/folders/folder I want to process", instead of just "folder I want to process".

Sigh... Would you know the trick ?
I'd need to seriously work on scripting

binary_y2k2 · 06-20-2006, 06:49 AM

edit:
ok insted of "$(pwd)" try "$(basename "$PWD")"

Sabinou · 06-20-2006, 07:01 AM

That worked ^_^
It's my final thanks, i'm really grateful