echo multiple lines of text

twistedpair · 04-11-2005, 11:39 AM

Hi all,
I haven't found an answer to this just yet, and maybe one of you can help. I need to have a script write multiple lines of text to a file. Instead of doing it like this:

echo stuff > /etc/file
echo more stuff >> /etc/file

Is there a way to make it so that I don't have to prefix every line with "echo" and put the path after each line? Maybe there is a better way to do this?

Thanks,
Pair

homey · 04-11-2005, 12:34 PM

Hi,

Just start it with a quote and don't use the closing quote until you are done. For example....

Code:

# echo " this is line one
> this is line two
> this is line thre
> rats, spelling is off" > file.txt

# cat file.txt
 this is line one
this is line two
this is line thre
rats, spelling is off

eric.frederich · 03-28-2007, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by homey

Hi,

Just start it with a quote and don't use the closing quote until you are done. For example....

Code:

# echo " this is line one
> this is line two
> this is line thre
> rats, spelling is off" > file.txt

# cat file.txt
 this is line one
this is line two
this is line thre
rats, spelling is off

I'm trying to create a file by echoing as well but my file is a script and starts with #!/bin/sh and I'm having problems with that. This is what I get...

Code:

$ echo "#!/bin/sh
bash: !/bin/sh: event not found

jlinkels · 03-28-2007, 05:49 PM

Use for that line a single quote. Double quotes are weak quotes and special characters are still recognized, '#!' apparently being on eof them. Single quotes are strong: what is between the quotes is takens as string.

jlinkels

elsheikhmh · 03-28-2007, 06:22 PM

what about cat?

Code:

cat > ./outfile <<DELIM
hello proble
h2 fadernaly
DELIM

vadirajcs · 08-07-2007, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elsheikhmh

what about cat?

Code:

cat > ./outfile <<DELIM
hello proble
h2 fadernaly
DELIM

this gives the output different.

#/bin/sh
cat > ./outfile <<DELIM
hello proble
h2 fadernaly
DELIM

echo "I just wrote 2 lines to the file ./outfile"
-------------------------------------------------

#cat ./outfile
hello proble
h2 fadernaly
DELIM

echo "I just wrote 2 lines to the file ./outfile"

Any better solution on this?

jschiwal · 08-08-2007, 01:02 AM

Your last message doesn't look right.

The "DELIM" will not be written to the file. This method is known as a "here document". It allows for variable expansion as well, and is a common method used to do just what you said you wanted to do.

It allows you to embed documents you want written inside a single script. It was once a common technique used in installation scripts.

Quote:

$ echo "#!/bin/sh
bash: !/bin/sh: event not found

In an interactive shell, the exclamation point is expanded to a previous bash command. This isn't the case with non-interactive scripts however.

Please refer to the "info bash" manual for the details. Here documents are covered in Section 3.6.5. The Event designator (!) is covered in section 9.3.1.

elsheikhmh · 08-08-2007, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vadirajcs

this gives the output different.

#/bin/sh
cat > ./outfile <<DELIM
hello proble
h2 fadernaly
DELIM

echo "I just wrote 2 lines to the file ./outfile"
-------------------------------------------------

#cat ./outfile
hello proble
h2 fadernaly
DELIM

echo "I just wrote 2 lines to the file ./outfile"

Any better solution on this?

No way! Your message is very weird!! I tried it again and it gave me the same result. Please report your distro/version

elsheikhmh · 08-08-2007, 08:27 AM

I'm running this moment on a windows box equipped with MinGW32:

Code:

$ cat test.sh
#/bin/sh
cat > ./outfile <<DELIM
hello proble
h2 fadernaly
DELIM

echo "I just wrote 2 lines to the file ./outfile"

mustafa@LILPC ~
$ ./test.sh
I just wrote 2 lines to the file ./outfile

mustafa@LILPC ~
$ cat ./outfile
hello proble
h2 fadernaly

jschiwal · 08-08-2007, 06:07 PM

You last post shows that it is working using a HERE document.