bash return value

Question

I like to write a script or a function (not sure which one yet) that will be called by another script. The script or function is to generate several values. How can I write these in bash so that in the other script I can get the values returned by the script or function?

Examples are specially appreciated!

Thanks and regards!

Dennis Williamson · Accepted Answer · 2009-10-01 21:44:09Z

5

Use the Bash variable $IFS (internal field separator)

dfunc () {echo "first base:second base:third base:home"}

saveIFS=$IFS
IFS=":"
dval=($(dfunc))    # make an array
IFS=$saveIFS       # put $IFS back as soon as you can, you'll thank me
echo ${dval[1]}

Outputs:

second base

If you use a character that won't appear in your data, for example a colon, then you can use other characters, such as spaces.

And don't use backticks, use $().

edited Oct 1, 2009 at 21:44

answered Oct 1, 2009 at 21:39

Dennis Williamson

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Comments

Carl Norum · Accepted Answer · 2009-10-01 21:36:43Z

1

Have the script generating the output send its output to stdout, and have the calling script pull it in with backticks. Example code:

script1.sh:

#!/bin/bash
echo 1 2 3 4

script2.sh:

#!/bin/bash

for ITEM in `script1.sh`
do
    echo Item = $ITEM
done

answered Oct 1, 2009 at 21:36

Carl Norum

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2 Comments

scragar Over a year ago

Back ticks are a horrible idea.

Carl Norum Over a year ago

Wow, that's harsh. There's a reason there are two different sets of syntax - sometimes one is more convenient. Not to mention that some shells (admittedly old and busted ones) don't do $() anyway.

Arkady · Accepted Answer · 2009-10-01 21:14:15Z

0

As a string delimited by a well-known character (e.g., the colon, as is the convention for $PATH and the like)?

answered Oct 1, 2009 at 21:14

Arkady

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3 Comments

Tim Over a year ago

After that how do you extract those values? Do you mean function or script? Could you give some examples?

Satanicpuppy Over a year ago

You can just send them to STDOUT, and capture that with your program, or you can pipe them to a file, and then read the file. If you're using perl you can just do something like: $output = myScript.sh; Good old perl.

Satanicpuppy Over a year ago

There are supposed to be backticks "`" around the myScript.sh bit.

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