Bash string comparison at if statement

Question

I'm becoming freaking crazy because of bash programming

I have the following:

result="ERROR|0"  # From a complex sed execution
IFS='|' read -a array <<< "$result"

if [ "${array[0]}" == "ERROR" ]; then
    echo "Error"
fi

It should print Error, but it doesn't.

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

Editing: Actually, now it works, so I add the previous code where I get the "result" string

result=$( [some code that gives me an output] \
          | grep "Executed" \
          | sed s/'\(.*\) Executed \(.*\) of \(.*\) \(.*\) (.*)'/'\4|\3'/ \
        )

it should return a string, shouldn't it? The string I wrote before

it does for me (now that you have corrected the errors in the script) — umläute
– umläute, Commented Sep 5, 2013 at 15:24
are you sure you are running the snippet with bash? do you get errors? what does echo ${array[@]} print? — umläute
– umläute, Commented Sep 5, 2013 at 15:29
The problem is that there are not visible characters for colouring the output and it's pretty weird get a regexp for it — Lt.
– Lt., Commented Sep 17, 2013 at 12:31
you are probably aware that nobody can know about extra characters if you don't tell us (you gave "ERROR|0" as non-working input). even now, you give us some code that gives me an output, which can be virtually anything. — umläute
– umläute, Commented Sep 17, 2013 at 12:38

fedorqui · Accepted Answer · 2013-09-05 15:24:57Z

4

You had two small errors in the first version of your code:

$result="ERROR... (to assign, you have to use result=value)
<<< "$result (you missed the second " to close quotation).

With this code, it works:

result="ERROR|0"  # From a complex sed exectution
IFS='|' read -a array <<< "$result"

if [ "${array[0]}" == "ERROR" ]; then
    echo "Error"
fi

In fact, I think you updated your code in the grace period and now it is fine.

I added #!/bin/bash in the first line and executed:

$ ./script
Error

edited Sep 5, 2013 at 15:24

answered Sep 5, 2013 at 15:19

fedorqui

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Comments

umläute · Accepted Answer · 2013-09-05 15:23:37Z

0

when you assign values to variables, do not use $ notation. e.g. use

 result="foo"

rather than

 $result="foo"

and then don't forget the terminating quotes when writing a string:

IFS='|' read -a array <<< "$result

misses the terminating quote in "$result.

a good syntax highlighter can help a lot (simply compare the syntax-highlighting in your question with that in the answers)

answered Sep 5, 2013 at 15:23

umläute

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1 Comment

Lt. Over a year ago

I've forgot the quotes and accidentally added the $ notation at begin because I had to adapt my script in order to make it clear. Nonetheless it still doesn't work

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Bash string comparison at if statement

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In fact, I think you updated your code in the grace period and now it is fine.

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In fact, I think you updated your code in the grace period and now it is fine.

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