Usage of "ed" command in UNIX shell script

[Ajay Saini]

Hello,

I am using the following command in one of my scripts(UNIX shell script):-
ed ./file >>EOF
/^EVENTS
i
EVENTS=101 102 152 201
.
w
q
EOF

Now is there a way to use the ed command in the above format to replace a line with another line in a file

[Joseph Huber_1]

I think a Unix , specifically a ED forum will get You better answers.
But well: the current ED sequence is searching for the string EVENTS at the beginning of a line.
Then inserts a new line.

Replace the i command by a s/old string/new string/.
I'm not ED user, but if I remember well the s command stands for "substitute".

Use "man ed" on Your system to get more precise info.

[labadie_1]

Use GNV
http://gnv.sourceforge.net/

, or Sed
http://vms.process.com/scripts/fileserv/fileserv.com?SED

, or Awk
AWK == "$ SYS$COMMON:[SYSHLP.EXAMPLES.TCPIP.SNMP]GAWK.EXE"

to do that.

So you want to automate

edit a file, go to the line beginning with EVENTS, insert
EVENTS=101 102 152 201
save and quit.

[Ajay Saini]

Hello Joseph,

Your command does work.
But I am unable to use a variable in this command, Like

var=/var/tmp --->a variable

ed ./file >>EOF
/^FILE
s/^FILE=.*/FILE=$var/
.
w
q
EOF

How can I do this????

And can you provide me the path for some good UNIX ED forums...

[Joseph Huber_1]

ed probably does not evaluate or even recognize shell variables, $var is just part of the data stream, the shell does not see it. (same as on VMS). If You want to use variables, build the data in a temporary file instead of the input stream.
(and no, I can't help You with this, here is VMS land!)

And no, I don't know a specific news group for ed.
Eventually try comp.editors for (Unix) editor sopecific questions.

[Joseph Huber_1]

And BTW, with sed the whole stuff is much easier:

sed s/oldstring/newstring/g filein > fileout

Since I'm no unix user, I leave the regexp syntax for s(ubstitution) string to You for Your case, but it certainly can contain shell variables, substituted by the shell before it reaches sed.

[Dennis Handly]

>UNIX shell script

What OS are you running? HP-UX, Linux or Tru64?

>Joseph: ed probably does not evaluate or even recognize shell variables

The shell does if they are in a here document.

[Hoff]

Dennis: Or OpenVMS. Yes, OpenVMS can run shell scripts.