script variables

[Ratzie]

I have a script that calls another script, which runs a cmd. I then take the exit variable and store it...
gzip -cxvf offline_backup.tar.bz2 -p --same-permissions -m --same-owner --overwrite
TAREXIT=${?}

I have done testing when the gtar exit's succesfully and not successfully.

How do I use TAREXIT in my original script?


I tried to do..

gzip -cxvf offline_backup.tar.bz2 -p --same-permissions -m --same-owner --overwrite
TAREXIT=${?}
export $TAREXIT

But I get an error...
/home/scripts/backup/uncompress_db.scr[45]: 2: is not an identifier
./test[175]: TAREXIT: Parameter not set.

I am doing these scripts in ksh

[harry d brown jr · Accepted solution]

You can have the calling program take the output from the called program and assign it to a variable, which would require the called program to ECHO the TAREXIT variable.

OR

write the TAREXIT variable to a file in the format of:
export TAREXIT

then have the calling program SOURCE (. ./thefilenameusedabove) thefilenamed usedabove.

OR

if it's not necessary to have the called script external, then put it into the calling program.

live free or die
harry

[curt larson_1]

you use:

TAREXIT=${?}
exit $TAREXIT


in the call script

cmd
retcode=${?}
#retcode will now equal the value of TAREXIT

[A. Clay Stephenson]

You simply
export TAREXIT

But you should know that export works only in one direction: From Parent to Child process. Make sure that you are not trying to use a variable exported by a child process in a parent.