https://community.hpe.com/t5/operating-system-linux/lt-lt-eof-is-not-matched/m-p/5011313#M99185 You've probably noticed that the Forums removes extra spaces. You can indent the text in your 'here document' between the &lt;&lt; EOF and the actual EOF string. The important rule is that the termination string must start in column 1 (flush left). Anything before that string has no restrictions on spacing. Mon, 30 Oct 2006 15:21:39 GMT Bill Hassell 2006-10-30T15:21:39Z https://community.hpe.com/t5/operating-system-linux/lt-lt-eof-is-not-matched/m-p/5011307#M99179 I have the following in my script, and get the error in the subject...why is this not working?<BR /><BR />mail -t $mailgroup &lt;<EOF></EOF> Subject: $subjetc<BR /> From: $name<BR /> Cc: $dbgroup<BR /> this is the text <BR />EOF<BR /> Mon, 30 Oct 2006 14:19:05 GMT https://community.hpe.com/t5/operating-system-linux/lt-lt-eof-is-not-matched/m-p/5011307#M99179 Coolmar 2006-10-30T14:19:05Z https://community.hpe.com/t5/operating-system-linux/lt-lt-eof-is-not-matched/m-p/5011308#M99180 Try putting a space between &lt;&lt; and EOF.<BR /><BR />mail -t $mailgroup &lt;&lt; EOF<BR />Subject: $subjetc<BR />From: $name<BR />Cc: $dbgroup<BR />this is the text<BR />EOF Mon, 30 Oct 2006 14:28:16 GMT https://community.hpe.com/t5/operating-system-linux/lt-lt-eof-is-not-matched/m-p/5011308#M99180 Patrick Wallek 2006-10-30T14:28:16Z https://community.hpe.com/t5/operating-system-linux/lt-lt-eof-is-not-matched/m-p/5011309#M99181 Hi:<BR /><BR />Make sure that you EOF is flush left --- i.e. without any leading whitespace.<BR /><BR />Regards!<BR /><BR />...JRF... Mon, 30 Oct 2006 14:31:43 GMT https://community.hpe.com/t5/operating-system-linux/lt-lt-eof-is-not-matched/m-p/5011309#M99181 James R. Ferguson 2006-10-30T14:31:43Z https://community.hpe.com/t5/operating-system-linux/lt-lt-eof-is-not-matched/m-p/5011310#M99182 I tried that....I have put it in a case statement so perhaps that is the problem:<BR /><BR />case "$name" in<BR /> A)<BR /> mail -t $mailb &lt;<EOF></EOF> Subject: $groupbsubj<BR /> From: $name<BR /> Cc: $dbagroup<BR /> text<BR /> EOF<BR /> ;;<BR /> B)<BR /> etc etc etc<BR /><BR />The error I get is actually Syntax error at line 18 : `&lt;&lt;' is not matched Mon, 30 Oct 2006 14:32:43 GMT https://community.hpe.com/t5/operating-system-linux/lt-lt-eof-is-not-matched/m-p/5011310#M99182 Coolmar 2006-10-30T14:32:43Z https://community.hpe.com/t5/operating-system-linux/lt-lt-eof-is-not-matched/m-p/5011311#M99183 I just tried it in a case statement and it works fine.<BR /><BR />#!/usr/bin/sh<BR /><BR />THING=$1<BR /><BR />case $THING in<BR /><BR />A)<BR />mail -t $mailgroup &lt;&lt; EOF<BR />Subject: $subjetc<BR />From: $name<BR />Cc: $dbgroup<BR />this is the text<BR />EOF<BR />echo "A"<BR />;;<BR /><BR />B)<BR />echo "B"<BR />;;<BR />esac<BR /><BR /><BR />I invoked my script as './script.sh A' and it echoed A to the screen and I got the email.<BR /><BR />Make absolutely SURE that you do NOT have any spaces before the last EOF. Putting ' EOF' after the mail text is the only way I've duplicated your problem. Mon, 30 Oct 2006 14:45:22 GMT https://community.hpe.com/t5/operating-system-linux/lt-lt-eof-is-not-matched/m-p/5011311#M99183 Patrick Wallek 2006-10-30T14:45:22Z https://community.hpe.com/t5/operating-system-linux/lt-lt-eof-is-not-matched/m-p/5011312#M99184 Yep, it all had to be flush left. That fixed it. Thanks! Mon, 30 Oct 2006 15:09:39 GMT https://community.hpe.com/t5/operating-system-linux/lt-lt-eof-is-not-matched/m-p/5011312#M99184 Coolmar 2006-10-30T15:09:39Z https://community.hpe.com/t5/operating-system-linux/lt-lt-eof-is-not-matched/m-p/5011313#M99185 You've probably noticed that the Forums removes extra spaces. You can indent the text in your 'here document' between the &lt;&lt; EOF and the actual EOF string. The important rule is that the termination string must start in column 1 (flush left). Anything before that string has no restrictions on spacing. Mon, 30 Oct 2006 15:21:39 GMT https://community.hpe.com/t5/operating-system-linux/lt-lt-eof-is-not-matched/m-p/5011313#M99185 Bill Hassell 2006-10-30T15:21:39Z https://community.hpe.com/t5/operating-system-linux/lt-lt-eof-is-not-matched/m-p/5011314#M99186 Hi,<BR /><BR />Just FYI, bash has the &lt;&lt;- redirection operator, which strips leading tabs from the here-document.<BR /><BR />PCS Mon, 30 Oct 2006 15:42:02 GMT https://community.hpe.com/t5/operating-system-linux/lt-lt-eof-is-not-matched/m-p/5011314#M99186 spex 2006-10-30T15:42:02Z https://community.hpe.com/t5/operating-system-linux/lt-lt-eof-is-not-matched/m-p/5011315#M99187 &gt; You've probably noticed that the Forums<BR />&gt; removes extra spaces. [...]<BR /><BR />Actually, it (they?) doesn't, but a<BR />normal/typical Web browser does. "View<BR />document source" (or whatever your browser<BR />calls it), and the indentation is more<BR />obvious. In this case, it all looked better<BR />here than it must have in reality. (That is,<BR />no obvious space before the terminating<BR />"EOF".) Mon, 30 Oct 2006 23:26:21 GMT https://community.hpe.com/t5/operating-system-linux/lt-lt-eof-is-not-matched/m-p/5011315#M99187 Steven Schweda 2006-10-30T23:26:21Z