My first BASH script, what's wrong with it?

szf2 · 11-12-2003, 12:23 PM

After deleting some files I didn't want to , I decided to protect myself by aliasing rm to a "rmv" function I wrote and placed in my local bin. Basically, I want rmv to copy whatever folder or file is being deleted to my trash folder, then remove the folder or file. Further, I would like rmv to accept the following flags:

-f = do not copy folders/files to trash, just delete
-i = interactive mode
-v = verbose

Code for the function is as follows:

Code:

#!/bin/bash
for a in "$@"
do
if[-f "$a"] ; then
/bin/rm -rf "$@"
elif[-i "$a"] ; then
cp -ri $a /path/to/trash/folder
/bin/rm -ri $a
elif[-v "$a"] ; then
cp -rv $a /path/to/trash/folder
/bin/rm -rfv $a
elif[-* "$a"] ; then
echo "Unexpected flag in call to rmv.\n"
exit -1
else 
cp -r $a /path/to/trash/folder
/bin/rm -rf $a
fi
done

I know its far from perfect, but hopefully enough for a BASH expert to get the idea and tell what all I've done wrong. Also, I'm not worried about overwriting files of the same name. The trash folder is basically there just to catch my typos when using rm.

Thanks
Steve

evil_Tak · 11-12-2003, 01:05 PM

#!/bin/bash
for a in "$@"
^^ this loops through ALL the arguments passed to the script; do you really want to do that?

do
if[-f "$a"] ; then
^^ you're not testing if $a equals "-f", you're testing whether $a meets the builtin bash test -f

/bin/rm -rf "$@"
elif[-i "$a"] ; then
cp -ri $a /path/to/trash/folder
/bin/rm -ri $a
^^ if you're copying everything to a trash folder, why prompt the user for every file?

How about this?

Code:

#!/bin/bash
SW="$1"
shift

cp "${SW}"r "$@" /path/to/trash/folder && rm "${SW}"r "$@"

Even better, you could do one like this:

Code:

#!/bin/bash
mv "$@" /path/to/trash/folder

szf2 · 11-12-2003, 01:43 PM

Rock on.

. I especially like the last one liner. Very nice.

However, I would like it so if I pass the "rmv" function a -f flag it will just remove the files (no copying to trash). This is especially true since some of the scripts I run generate a fair amount of temp files and I would like to be able to "rm -f" them w/o filling up the trash. Just wondering how a person tests for an input flag (since obviously my first method was incorrect). I am taking a shot in the dark with the following:

Code:

#!/bin/bash
if( "$1" -f) ; then
shift
rm -rf "$@"
else
mv "$@" /path/to/trash/folder
fi

Actually, I know this does not work because I've tried running it. I just need to know what the SOP is for testing for input flags in a bash script (and of course any other flaws in the script)

Thanks,
Steve