Re: Re: Stupid shell script question about "read" [SOLVED]

[Neal Murphy <neal.p.murphy@alum.wpi.edu>]

Kevin,

Looking for a solution to *my* problem (strange networking problem with debian 
testing), I saw your post and thought I'd respond.

>         # set some variables to nightmarish values for testing purposes
>         d='"ab\""q"' # literal value is "ab\""q"
>         e='$d'       # literal value is $d
>         f="'ba'r'"   # literal value is 'ba'r'
> 
>         # here's the meat of the code
>         result="`echo "$d $e $f" | sed "s/'/\'\\\\\\\'\'/g" | \
>                 ( read -r a b c; echo "a='$a' ; b='$b' ; c='$c'" )`"
>         eval "$result"
> 
>         # test that $a $b $c have the right values
>         echo "$a $b $c"

Another, more sane way to do what you want (I think):
  set `echo "$d $e $f" | sed "s/'/\'\\\\\\\'\'/g"`
  a=$1; b=$2; c=$3
which will work if your data have no embedded spaces. Otherwise, pick a 
character you know is not in the data (+, for example) and:
  OIFS=$IFS; IFS="+"
  set `echo "$d+$e+$f" | sed "s/'/\'\\\\\\\'\'/g"`
  a=$1; b=$2; c=$3
  IFS=$OIFS

I've been writing shell scripts for many years, and I *still* trip over this 
now and again, curse a time or three, then remember that some things are done 
in sub-shells or sub-processes, and finally do the IFS and set trick. :) 

Neal