not getting these variable values ${0##*/} and ${0%/*}

[Vishu]

Hi,

Please tell what is the actual value (         ${0##*/}  and  ${0%/*}      ) defined to the variable below. we have a script and i did not get these values

typeset -x NAME=${0##*/}
typeset -x DIR=${0%/*}

Thanks

[Patrick Wallek · Accepted solution]

These basically strip down the path of the command executed to the directory (DIR) and FILE (NAME).

For example, I created a script:

 # cat /root/test.pw
#!/usr/bin/sh

typeset -x NAME=${0##*/}
typeset -x DIR=${0%/*}

echo NAME=${NAME}
echo DIR=${DIR}

And then I ran it.

First I ran it from the /root directory and invoked it with just a './test.pw'.

# ./test.pw
NAME=test.pw
DIR=.

The NAME is the script name and the DIR is the '.' portion indicating it's run from the current directory.

I then ran it as '/root/test.pw':

# /root/test.pw
NAME=test.pw
DIR=/root

NAME still gives test.pw, which it should, and DIR gives '/root' as that is the directory portion of the command line.

If I place the script in /var/tmp and run it via '/var/tmp/test.pw' then you get:

# /var/tmp/test.pw
NAME=test.pw
DIR=/var/tmp

If I copy the script to a directory that is in my PATH environment variable, /root/bin in this case, and run it:

# test.pw
NAME=test.pw
DIR=/root/bin

I get the directory that the script is in.

Does this all make sense?

[Dennis Handly]

Basically these are the shell builtin replacements for dirname(1) and basename(1), operating on $0:

export DIR=$(dirname $0)

export NAME=$(basename $0)

[Vishu]

Thanks Partick and Dennis,

so it means if it use the same to $1 variable, then it will provide the DIR and NAME value for that script executed...correct?

e.g. typeset value=$1
typeset file=${1##*/}

It will give me the value of the file name i will be entering at $1 variable...got it.

But how do i get details about these symbols like ##*/ or %/* as one counts for file name and other for directory name. Are there other symbols like these and how can i get all those symbols so that i can use them also???

Much Thanks for your reply.

[Dennis Handly]

>how do I get details about these symbols like ##*/ or %/*

Read the manpage carefully.  Look at what other well written shell scripts do.

And you also need to understand patterns.

>Are there other symbols like these

Look at the man pages for real shells: ksh(1) and sh_posix(1)

Parameter Substitution:

${parameter}  
${#parameter}
${#identifier[*]}
${parameter:-word}
${parameter:=word}
${parameter:?word}
${parameter:+word}

${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.

$#
$-
$?
$$
$_
$!