Hi,

I have this script that works line by line in the command line but doesn't work in a executable batch file:

[CODE]
#!/bin/tcsh -f

set dirlist = `\ls -l | awk '/^d/ {print $9}'`
set dir1 = `kdialog --combobox "directories:" $dirlist:q`

echo $dir1
cd $dir1

set dirlist = `\ls -l | awk '/^d/ {print $9}'`
set dir2 = `kdialog --combobox "directories:" $dirlist:q`

echo $dir2
cd $dir2
[CODE]

Does anyone have any ideas why it's not working?

thanks very much in advance.

best regards.
ncfc

If it doesn't work then use "set -vx" top of your script (or equivalent for your shell) or execute it in verbose / debug mode to find out why. Most of the time it's paths or something. Also instead of '\ls -l | awk '/^d/ {print $9}'`;' consider using something like 'find $PWD/* -maxdepth 0 -type d;'.

What do you mean by "it doesn't work"? Error message, unexpected output?
What is your interactive shell? Your program uses tcsh, which I am not familiar with, but perhaps the problem lies there?

Have you also tried it without the -f option?

Hi, thanks for the promptly reply.

Sorry I was not specific on what the problem was.

When I run the script, it correctly asks for the user to select a directory and it, correctly, sets the variable dir1 to the selected choice. Then it enters that chosen directory and asks the same question and, correctly, sets dir2. But, at the command line, it doesn't enters the chosen directories (lines 10 and 16 of the script). For example, if I run the script from my home directory, after the script runs, I'm still at the home directory level, instead of being at the directory level I had chosen during the script run.

I've tried to run with /debug, as unspawn suggested, but it didn't give any info. I've also run without the -f flag, as jpollard suggested, but it also didn't work.

thanks very much for your help.

best regards,

ncfc

No it worked just like it was supposed to.

The problem you are having is context. Each process has its own context - which includes the working directory.

When a command (or script) starts it runs with a new process which inherits that context. Any changes to that context within the new process remain within that process. When the process exits, the parent process resumes - with the context it started with.

Now changing the current context is possible - but you have to execute the script without starting a new process. Most shells use the syntax ". script_name" to do that. The current shell is redirected to execute commands contained with the the script - and any context changes will be made as you expect. If you want to hide the ". script_name" syntax, you might be able to do it with an alias. In bash, you can do it with a function instead. But it is up to the shell as to what works in that manner.

Hi, jpollard.

thanks very much for the reply.

Now I understand what went wrong! Any suggestions on how I could make it works as I was planning?

Again, thanks very much.

best regards,

ncfc

You caught me mid update :-)

Try to source it.
That's a dot followed by the name of the script.

If you want a script to change the environment of your current interactive shell, such as the current directory, you have to run it using the source command. For example:
Lazy typers appreciate the dot command. It does exactly the same thing:
EDIT: Oops, jpollard already provided this. Sorry for intruding.

Hi, jpollard.

thanks very much for the reply.

But now you got me. How could I do that?

If your current shell is tcsh, you can run it in the current context
You can shorten that by means of an alias
Or

Oh, now I got it.

After sourcing it, it worked nicely!

thanks very much, jpollard, Aia, berndbausch and MadeInGermany, for your help and promptly replies.

best regards,

ncfc