topic Re: magical script in Operating System - HP-UX

magical script

Vittorio_3 — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 06:29:34 GMT

Hi,
Can anybody help me to do reverse explanation how this string was done, I tried to do my best but failed. Could not find anywhere, especially about % sign

# /root/bin/mar/generic_dr.ksh
# becomes generic_dr.ksh

PGM=${0#${0%/*}/} # !!!!!!!!!

Re: magical script

Laurent Menase — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 07:53:21 GMT

man ksh
${parameter#pattern}
${parameter##pattern}
If the shell pattern matches the beginning of the value of parameter, the value of this substitution is the value of the parameter with the matched portion deleted; otherwise the value of this parameter substituted. In the former case, the smallest matching pattern is deleted; in the latter case, the largest matching pattern is deleted.

${parameter%pattern}
${parameter%%pattern}
If the shell pattern matches the end of the value of parameter, the value of parameter with the matched part is deleted; otherwise substitute the value of parameter. In the former, the smallest matching pattern is deleted; in the latter, the largest matching pattern is deleted.

So ${0%/*} remove the shortest ending of the program name $0, which match with /*
so for instance
/titi/toto/tata/tutu ->
echo ${0%/*}
/titi/toto/tata
${0#${0%/*}/} remove the shortest from the begining matching with the previous + /
so
/titi/toto/tata/tutu -> we remove /titi/toto/tata + / from the begining
-> tutu

it is the same as $(basename $0) but without calling a coprocess.

Re: magical script

Matti_Kurkela — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 12:14:16 GMT

Wouldn't ${0##*/} accomplish the same thing in a more straightforward way?

Or is/was there a version of ksh that had the ${parameter#pattern} and ${parameter%pattern} matches, but not the ${parameter##pattern} and ${parameter%%pattern} versions?

MK

Re: magical script

Vittorio_3 — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 16:48:22 GMT

Tx, Laurent and Matt !!
Matti, your version works just fine too.

Just one small ?:

so those 2 lines works in the same way?

${parameter%pattern}
${parameter%%pattern}

Tx
N

Re: magical script

Vittorio_3 — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 17:08:28 GMT

All clear now, tx all

Re: magical script

Dennis Handly — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 18:44:33 GMT

>so those 2 lines works in the same way?
${parameter%pattern}
${parameter%%pattern}

No. From ksh(1): in the latter case, the largest matching pattern is deleted.

Re: magical script

Laurent Menase — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 19:05:27 GMT

${parameter%pattern}
${parameter%%pattern}

for instance
parameter a=/toto/titi/tata/tutu
echo ${a%%t*}
-> / => because the longest which matches with t* is toto/titi/tata/tutu
echo ${a%t*}
-> /toto/titi/tata/tu => because the shortest which matches with t* is tu

Re: magical script

Bill Hassell — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 20:32:50 GMT

Removing leading directories can be done with the command basename. However, any POSIX shell will support the very simple construct mentioned above:

MYNAME=$(basename $0)
or
MYNAME=${0##*/}

This shell construct returns just the name of the current script. There is a companion program called dirname which returns everything except the name of the script:

MYDIR=$(dirname $0)
or MYNAME=${0%/*}

These techniques use shell built-in features which are very fast and portable. Unfortunately the man pages are not very clear and don't useful examples.

Here's another technique:

MYCPU=cpu1.mysite.com
echo ${MYCPU%%.*}
cpu1

This extracts just the computer name and drops the rest of the domain name.