Re: Bash "read" command: want to preload some data

[Bob Cox <debian-user@lists.bobcox.com>]

On Sat, Mar 06, 2010 at 06:21:27 -0600, Ron Johnson (ron.l.johnson@cox.net) wrote: 

> On 2010-03-06 04:28, Bob Cox wrote:
>> What I am trying to do is "preload" a bash read command with a value
>> which can be accepted, edited or changed by the user.  Some googling
>> shows that this is dead easy to with the -i option which appeared in
>> bash version 4 - I have found this:
>>
>> ---------------------
>> Example: ask for a path with a default value.
>> Note: The -i option was introduced with Bash 4.
>> read -e -p "Enter the path to the file: " -i "/usr/local/etc/" FILEPATH
>> The user will be prompted, he can just accept the default, or edit it.
>> ---------------------
>>
>> This is exactly what I want.  However, for the sake of compatibility, I
>> would like to do the same thing using older versions of bash, even if it
>> means messier coding.  Does anyone have any ideas on how to do this
>> please?
>>
>
> How about:
>
>     read ...
>     if [ -z "$FILEPATH" ]
>     then
>        FILRPATH=/usr/local/etc/"
>     if

Thanks Ron. I can see what you are getting at, but unless I am missing
something, that still won't display the contents of the string to the
user, providing him or her with the opportunity to accept or edit it.

-- 
Bob Cox.  Stoke Gifford, near Bristol, UK.
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