Tried both solutions - No error messages this time. So I presume the syntax is ok as such.

However no changes inside any of the HTML files - Got a .bak file for every file.

Maybe because the script copies the HTML files and doesn't perform the change in every html file ?

Well, that's progress.

The script will only make changes if the *precise* string in the "$substring" variable is found. If no changes are being made, then that substring is not being found. So now it's time for you to check that the substring in your script is correct. If your search clue contains even an extra space or newline character it will not match.

Changed the substring I wanted to replace - so the script now looks like this:


#! /bin/bash

substring='<a HREF="index.html" TARGET="_top">Home</a> '
replacement='<script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-5045815486985038";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
google_ad_format = "728x90_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
//2007-08-14: globabilityaug2007setup
google_ad_channel = "5631073777";
google_color_border = "000000";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script><br><br>
<a HREF="index.html" TARGET="_top">Home</a>'

for file in *.html; do
cp $file $file.bak # alternatively use 'mv'
file_contents="$(<$file.bak)"
echo "${file_contents//$substring/$replacement}" >$file
done

The above was saved into a text file called winner.sh and I have set the perms as you explained earlier in the thread so the script is executable by calling ./winner.sh

HOURS UPON HOURS OF DREARY SYNTAX REPLACEMENT HAVE NOW BEEN SHAVED AWAY FROM MY TIME SPENT MAKING THESE CHANGES - AS WELL AS FUTURE ONES!

THANKS A MILLION!!!!!!!!!!!!!