BASH scripting. Is there a better way of achieving this...

hacker supreme · 06-14-2007, 05:30 PM

I'm trying to get the size of a file into a variable in a bash script.
currently, I am using:

Quote:

FLSZE='ls -l $FILENAME | awk '{print $5}'

And while it works, and I am pleased with it, I'm wondering if there is a better way of doing this.

for example, if FILENAME=Xerrors (which is a 1.2KB file), then the output of this piece of script is: "1202", and this is correct.
But I feel that the method I am using is clumsy.

pixellany · 06-14-2007, 05:48 PM

This thread gives several methods:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=410766

jschiwal · 06-14-2007, 06:30 PM

If this were something you would use frequently in a script, you could create a function in the start of the script to use.

ex:

Code:

#!/bin/bash
# define bsize function: prints size of file given in argument ($1)
function bsize()
> {
> stat -c'%s' $1
> }

# test the function
bsize ~/.xsession-errors

You could also define an alias.

cfaj · 06-14-2007, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hacker supreme

I'm trying to get the size of a file into a variable in a bash script.
currently, I am using:

Code:

FLSZE='ls -l $FILENAME | awk '{print $5}'

And while it works, and I am pleased with it, I'm wondering if there is a better way of doing this.

for example, if FILENAME=Xerrors (which is a 1.2KB file), then the output of this piece of script is: "1202", and this is correct.
But I feel that the method I am using is clumsy.

Code:

FLSZE=$(( $( wc -c < FILE ) ))

FLSZE=$( stat -c%s FILE )  ## GNU stat

FLSZE=$( stat -f%z FILE )  ## FreeBSD stat

set -- $( ls -l FILE ); FLSZE=$5 ## Old Solaris, use $4 (IIRC)

hacker supreme · 06-15-2007, 09:18 AM

Thanks pixellany, cfaj and jschiwal.

It's only going to be used twice in the script at most, but I thought that my way was a bit long winded.