ksh and quotes

[eric stewart_2]

I have a shell script that usualy appends the passed parameters from the command line onto the real command.
The problem I have is passing the quotes.
Here is the command line abc -s 'a b c'
here is abc:
sas $*

What get run is sas -s a b c

AFter I post I will try to look at past items but I know someone with real knowledge will point me to the solution faster than I can find it.
TIA

[Ian Kidd_1]

Try passing "'a b c'".

[H.Merijn Brand (procura]

From 'man sh-bourne" :

A character can be quoted (i.e., made to stand for itself) by
preceding it with a \. The pair \new-line is ignored. All characters
enclosed between a pair of single quote marks (''), except a single
quote, are quoted. Inside double quote marks (""), parameter and
command substitution occurs and \ quotes the characters \, `, ", and
$. "$*" is equivalent to "$1 $2 ...", whereas "$@" is equivalent to
"$1""$2" ....

Would that help? Sometimes $* is better, sometimes $@

[eric stewart_2]

ian
Still NG.
I even tries abc '''a b c'''
and that does not work.

Any ksh option that says to pass the whole parameter string as one parameter and do not touch the quotes?

[Leif Halvarsson_2]

Hi

I am not sure I have understand this correct but perhaps this work for you:

abc -s \`1 2 3\`

[Rodney Hills]

If in script abc you did
echo :$1:

you would see-
:a b c:

This is because those three letters make up parameter #1. If you wish to quote them again to sas, then use-
sas -s "$@"

This will again pass the three letters as one argument to the shell.

Hope this helps...

-- Rod Hills

[eric stewart_2]

procura
Is there any way to tell if the parameters or command line has the quotes in it so I can use $@ in one case and $* in the other?

[eric stewart_2]

Rodney,
This worked for the quoted string but then I tried it where there was no quoted string to pass and then the normal command did not work.
Thats what promted the oither reply.
Thanks

[Ian Kidd_1]

Try modifying the script so that:

TEST=\'$*\'

sas $TEST

[Rodney Hills]

I think Ian's solution would pass the argument with the single quotes as part of the argument.

If sas is expecting to see the single quotes, then Ian's example is ok.

If sas is not expecting to see the single quotes, ie the three letters are just the first argument, then you will have to do the following-

eval sas $TEST

But I think this is becoming overkill. Maybe a little more info on what you really are trying to do.

my 2 cents...

-- Rod Hills

[Rich Wright]

What about this code?
abc script
#!/bin/sh
set -x
args=''
num_args=$#
i=1
while [ $i -le $num_args ]
do
arg=`eval echo \\$"$i"`
if $(echo $arg | grep -q ' ');then
args=$args"'$arg' "
else
args=$args"$arg "
fi
i=`expr $i + 1`
done
echo $args
--end of script--
--test run--
# ./abc -s 'a b c'
+ args=
+ num_args=2
+ i=1
+ [ 1 -le 2 ]
+ + eval echo $1
+ echo -s
arg=-s
+ echo -s
+ grep -q
+ args=-s
+ + expr 1 + 1
i=2
+ [ 2 -le 2 ]
+ + eval echo $2
+ echo a b c
arg=a b c
+ grep -q
+ echo a b c
+ args=-s 'a b c'
+ + expr 2 + 1
i=3
+ [ 3 -le 2 ]
+ echo -s 'a b c'
-s 'a b c'
---end of test---

Rich

[eric stewart_2]

Rich
here is what I got from the script:
[ 5 -le 4 ]
+ /cts/sas612/sas -work /prd/works2 -autoexec /prd/preclinical/pbsyst/ahtest/ahtest.sas -initcmd 'af c=ahtest.ahtest.menu.program'

ERROR: Cannot find batch input file '/prd/home/estewar1/c=ahtest.ahtest.menu.program''.


I just do not see where or why there are 2 quotes
Used your script. It seems to do what I want.
Any other ideas?

[eric stewart_2]

Thanks to all,
Sometimes simple eludes us.
In this particular case the parameter that I had to pass (stumbled on it) could be separated by spaces or commas.
I just added the comma between the af and the file name and it does not matter about the quotes.
I will try to award points Friday.
Thanks again.

[eric stewart_2]

assigned points as promised