bash Print

String Length

${#string}

 

expr length $string

These are the equivalent of strlen() in C.

expr "$string" : '.*'

stringZ=abcABC123ABCabc echo ${#stringZ} # 15 echo `expr length $stringZ` # 15 echo `expr "$stringZ" : '.*'` # 15

#!/bin/bash
# paragraph-space.sh
# Ver. 2.1, Reldate 29Jul12 [fixup]

# Inserts a blank line between paragraphs of a single-spaced text file.
# Usage: $0 <FILENAME

MINLEN=60        # Change this value? It's a judgment call.
#  Assume lines shorter than $MINLEN characters ending in a period
#+ terminate a paragraph. See exercises below.

while read line  # For as many lines as the input file has ...
do
  echo "$line"   # Output the line itself.

  len=${#line}
  if [[ "$len" -lt "$MINLEN" && "$line" =~ [*{\.}]$ ]]
# if [[ "$len" -lt "$MINLEN" && "$line" =~ \[*\.\] ]]
# An update to Bash broke the previous version of this script. Ouch!
# Thank you, Halim Srama, for pointing this out and suggesting a fix.
    then echo    #  Add a blank line immediately
  fi             #+ after a short line terminated by a period.
done

exit

# Exercises:
# ---------
#  1) The script usually inserts a blank line at the end
#+    of the target file. Fix this.
#  2) Line 17 only considers periods as sentence terminators.
#     Modify this to include other common end-of-sentence characters,
#+    such as ?, !, and ".

Length of Matching Substring at Beginning of String

expr match "$string" '$substring'

$substring is a regular expression.

expr "$string" : '$substring'

$substring is a regular expression.

stringZ=abcABC123ABCabc # |------| # 12345678 echo `expr match "$stringZ" 'abc[A-Z]*.2'` # 8 echo `expr "$stringZ" : 'abc[A-Z]*.2'` # 8

Index

expr index $string $substring

Numerical position in $string of first character in $substring that matches.

stringZ=abcABC123ABCabc # 123456 ... echo `expr index "$stringZ" C12` # 6 # C position. echo `expr index "$stringZ" 1c` # 3 # 'c' (in #3 position) matches before '1'.

This is the near equivalent of strchr() in C.

Substring Extraction

${string:position}

Extracts substring from $string at $position.

If the $string parameter is "*" or "@", then this extracts the positional parameters, starting at $position.

${string:position:length}

Extracts $length characters of substring from $string at $position.

stringZ=abcABC123ABCabc # 0123456789..... # 0-based indexing. echo ${stringZ:0} # abcABC123ABCabc echo ${stringZ:1} # bcABC123ABCabc echo ${stringZ:7} # 23ABCabc echo ${stringZ:7:3} # 23A # Three characters of substring. # Is it possible to index from the right end of the string? echo ${stringZ:-4} # abcABC123ABCabc # Defaults to full string, as in ${parameter:-default}. # However . . . echo ${stringZ:(-4)} # Cabc echo ${stringZ: -4} # Cabc # Now, it works. # Parentheses or added space "escape" the position parameter. # Thank you, Dan Jacobson, for pointing this out.

The position and length arguments can be "parameterized," that is, represented as a variable, rather than as a numerical constant.

Example 10-2. Generating an 8-character "random" string

#!/bin/bash # rand-string.sh # Generating an 8-character "random" string. if [ -n "$1" ] # If command-line argument present, then #+ then set start-string to it. str0="$1" else # Else use PID of script as start-string. str0="$$" fi POS=2 # Starting from position 2 in the string. LEN=8 # Extract eight characters. str1=$( echo "$str0" | md5sum | md5sum ) # Doubly scramble ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ #+ by piping and repiping to md5sum. randstring="${str1:$POS:$LEN}" # Can parameterize ^^^^ ^^^^ echo "$randstring" exit $? # bozo$ ./rand-string.sh my-password # 1bdd88c4 # No, this is is not recommended #+ as a method of generating hack-proof passwords.

If the $string parameter is "*" or "@", then this extracts a maximum of $length positional parameters, starting at $position.

echo ${*:2} # Echoes second and following positional parameters. echo ${@:2} # Same as above. echo ${*:2:3} # Echoes three positional parameters, starting at second.

expr substr $string $position $length

Extracts $length characters from $string starting at $position.

stringZ=abcABC123ABCabc # 123456789...... # 1-based indexing. echo `expr substr $stringZ 1 2` # ab echo `expr substr $stringZ 4 3` # ABC

expr match "$string" '\($substring\)'

Extracts $substring at beginning of $string, where $substring is a regular expression.

expr "$string" : '\($substring\)'

Extracts $substring at beginning of $string, where $substring is a regular expression.

stringZ=abcABC123ABCabc # ======= echo `expr match "$stringZ" '\(.[b-c]*[A-Z]..[0-9]\)'` # abcABC1 echo `expr "$stringZ" : '\(.[b-c]*[A-Z]..[0-9]\)'` # abcABC1 echo `expr "$stringZ" : '\(.......\)'` # abcABC1 # All of the above forms give an identical result.

expr match "$string" '.*\($substring\)'

Extracts $substring at end of $string, where $substring is a regular expression.

expr "$string" : '.*\($substring\)'

Extracts $substring at end of $string, where $substring is a regular expression.

stringZ=abcABC123ABCabc # ====== echo `expr match "$stringZ" '.*\([A-C][A-C][A-C][a-c]*\)'` # ABCabc echo `expr "$stringZ" : '.*\(......\)'` # ABCabc

Substring Removal

${string#substring}

Deletes shortest match of $substring from front of $string.

${string##substring}

Deletes longest match of $substring from front of $string.

stringZ=abcABC123ABCabc # |----| shortest # |----------| longest echo ${stringZ#a*C} # 123ABCabc # Strip out shortest match between 'a' and 'C'. echo ${stringZ##a*C} # abc # Strip out longest match between 'a' and 'C'. # You can parameterize the substrings. X='a*C' echo ${stringZ#$X} # 123ABCabc echo ${stringZ##$X} # abc # As above.

${string%substring}

Deletes shortest match of $substring from back of $string.

For example:

# Rename all filenames in $PWD with "TXT" suffix to a "txt" suffix. # For example, "file1.TXT" becomes "file1.txt" . . . SUFF=TXT suff=txt for i in $(ls *.$SUFF) do mv -f $i ${i%.$SUFF}.$suff # Leave unchanged everything *except* the shortest pattern match #+ starting from the right-hand-side of the variable $i . . . done ### This could be condensed into a "one-liner" if desired. # Thank you, Rory Winston.

${string%%substring}

Deletes longest match of $substring from back of $string.

stringZ=abcABC123ABCabc # || shortest # |------------| longest echo ${stringZ%b*c} # abcABC123ABCa # Strip out shortest match between 'b' and 'c', from back of $stringZ. echo ${stringZ%%b*c} # a # Strip out longest match between 'b' and 'c', from back of $stringZ.

This operator is useful for generating filenames.

Example 10-3. Converting graphic file formats, with filename change

#!/bin/bash # cvt.sh: # Converts all the MacPaint image files in a directory to "pbm" format. # Uses the "macptopbm" binary from the "netpbm" package, #+ which is maintained by Brian Henderson (bryanh@giraffe-data.com). # Netpbm is a standard part of most Linux distros. OPERATION=macptopbm SUFFIX=pbm # New filename suffix. if [ -n "$1" ] then directory=$1 # If directory name given as a script argument... else directory=$PWD # Otherwise use current working directory. fi # Assumes all files in the target directory are MacPaint image files, #+ with a ".mac" filename suffix. for file in $directory/* # Filename globbing. do filename=${file%.*c} # Strip ".mac" suffix off filename #+ ('.*c' matches everything #+ between '.' and 'c', inclusive). $OPERATION $file > "$filename.$SUFFIX" # Redirect conversion to new filename. rm -f $file # Delete original files after converting. echo "$filename.$SUFFIX" # Log what is happening to stdout. done exit 0 # Exercise: # -------- # As it stands, this script converts *all* the files in the current #+ working directory. # Modify it to work *only* on files with a ".mac" suffix. # *** And here's another way to do it. *** # #!/bin/bash # Batch convert into different graphic formats. # Assumes imagemagick installed (standard in most Linux distros). INFMT=png # Can be tif, jpg, gif, etc. OUTFMT=pdf # Can be tif, jpg, gif, pdf, etc. for pic in *"$INFMT" do p2=$(ls "$pic" | sed -e s/\.$INFMT//) # echo $p2 convert "$pic" $p2.$OUTFMT done exit $?

Example 10-4. Converting streaming audio files to ogg

#!/bin/bash # ra2ogg.sh: Convert streaming audio files (*.ra) to ogg. # Uses the "mplayer" media player program: # http://www.mplayerhq.hu/homepage # Uses the "ogg" library and "oggenc": # http://www.xiph.org/ # # This script may need appropriate codecs installed, such as sipr.so ... # Possibly also the compat-libstdc++ package. OFILEPREF=${1%%ra} # Strip off the "ra" suffix. OFILESUFF=wav # Suffix for wav file. OUTFILE="$OFILEPREF""$OFILESUFF" E_NOARGS=85 if [ -z "$1" ] # Must specify a filename to convert. then echo "Usage: `basename $0` [filename]" exit $E_NOARGS fi ########################################################################## mplayer "$1" -ao pcm:file=$OUTFILE oggenc "$OUTFILE" # Correct file extension automatically added by oggenc. ########################################################################## rm "$OUTFILE" # Delete intermediate *.wav file. # If you want to keep it, comment out above line. exit $? # Note: # ---- # On a Website, simply clicking on a *.ram streaming audio file #+ usually only downloads the URL of the actual *.ra audio file. # You can then use "wget" or something similar #+ to download the *.ra file itself. # Exercises: # --------- # As is, this script converts only *.ra filenames. # Add flexibility by permitting use of *.ram and other filenames. # # If you're really ambitious, expand the script #+ to do automatic downloads and conversions of streaming audio files. # Given a URL, batch download streaming audio files (using "wget") #+ and convert them on the fly.

A simple emulation of getopt using substring-extraction constructs.

Example 10-5. Emulating getopt

#!/bin/bash # getopt-simple.sh # Author: Chris Morgan # Used in the ABS Guide with permission. getopt_simple() { echo "getopt_simple()" echo "Parameters are '$*'" until [ -z "$1" ] do echo "Processing parameter of: '$1'" if [ ${1:0:1} = '/' ] then tmp=${1:1} # Strip off leading '/' . . . parameter=${tmp%%=*} # Extract name. value=${tmp##*=} # Extract value. echo "Parameter: '$parameter', value: '$value'" eval $parameter=$value fi shift done } # Pass all options to getopt_simple(). getopt_simple $* echo "test is '$test'" echo "test2 is '$test2'" exit 0 # See also, UseGetOpt.sh, a modified version of this script. --- sh getopt_example.sh /test=value1 /test2=value2 Parameters are '/test=value1 /test2=value2' Processing parameter of: '/test=value1' Parameter: 'test', value: 'value1' Processing parameter of: '/test2=value2' Parameter: 'test2', value: 'value2' test is 'value1' test2 is 'value2'

Substring Replacement

${string/substring/replacement}

Replace first match of $substring with $replacement.

${string//substring/replacement}

Replace all matches of $substring with $replacement.

stringZ=abcABC123ABCabc echo ${stringZ/abc/xyz} # xyzABC123ABCabc # Replaces first match of 'abc' with 'xyz'. echo ${stringZ//abc/xyz} # xyzABC123ABCxyz # Replaces all matches of 'abc' with # 'xyz'. echo --------------- echo "$stringZ" # abcABC123ABCabc echo --------------- # The string itself is not altered! # Can the match and replacement strings be parameterized? match=abc repl=000 echo ${stringZ/$match/$repl} # 000ABC123ABCabc # ^ ^ ^^^ echo ${stringZ//$match/$repl} # 000ABC123ABC000 # Yes! ^ ^ ^^^ ^^^ echo # What happens if no $replacement string is supplied? echo ${stringZ/abc} # ABC123ABCabc echo ${stringZ//abc} # ABC123ABC # A simple deletion takes place.

${string/#substring/replacement}

If $substring matches front end of $string, substitute $replacement for $substring.

${string/%substring/replacement}

If $substring matches back end of $string, substitute $replacement for $substring.

stringZ=abcABC123ABCabc echo ${stringZ/#abc/XYZ} # XYZABC123ABCabc # Replaces front-end match of 'abc' with 'XYZ'. echo ${stringZ/%abc/XYZ} # abcABC123ABCXYZ # Replaces back-end match of 'abc' with 'XYZ'.