[SOLVED] dialog --dselect bug?

timsoft · 03-06-2018, 03:08 PM

hi all, I am writing a simple scipt application, and when I call dialog --dselect $DIRPATH 17 70 2>TMP
it appears to work, but if I use the arrow keys to move to the directory window and press enter, instead of exiting, passing the selected item, text imput goes to the bottom of the screen, and until I press Ctl-D or Ctl-C is stuck.
the exact test code is below.

Code:

dialog --colors --title "\Z4qvc\Zn" --dselect "$IMAGEDIR" 10 70 2>$TMP && {
if [ -e $TMP ]; then
  echo "`cat $MTP` returned"
  exit 2
else
  echo "nothing returned"
  exit 2
fi
}
echo "dialog errored with $?"
exit 2

where the IMAGEDIR variable is already set, as is the TMP variable.
any clues as to what I'm doing wrong - or is there a bug?
I should say that other uses of dialog in the script are working just fine ( --menu , --yesno --msgbox --radiolist and --checklist )
thanks

Didier Spaier · 03-06-2018, 05:17 PM

Line #3, replace $MTP by $TMP.

That's not a bug, just a typo: cat is stuck waiting for an argument or an input.

Quoting "man cat":

Code:

NAME
       cat - concatenate files and print on the standard output

SYNOPSIS
       cat [OPTION]... [FILE]...

DESCRIPTION
       Concatenate FILE(s) to standard output.

       With no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.

PS. Paraphrasing the old saying: "there's more than one way to skin kill a cat": one of them is pressing Ctrl+C

timsoft · 03-07-2018, 03:49 AM

thanks so much didier. I've been staring at that for hours and hadn't spotted my typo. it's working now.