Script Output to a file

Question

Why am I unable to have the output to a file, dir_, from shell script ?

Here is the command in script:

userid]# vi script.sh

#! /bin/bash
echo `grep -w 7171 $ABC` > /home/username/dir/dir_$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S).csv

userid]# ./script.sh ./script.sh: line 13: /home/username/dir/dir_20141201_160840.csv: No such file or directory

Well I expected the script to create a new file.

Please advise the workaround.

Regards, Ashish

Does /home/username/dir exist? Also that echo is entirely unnecessary and actively causes issues with spaces in the grep results. — Etan Reisner
– Etan Reisner, Commented Dec 1, 2014 at 15:34
yes, /dir does exists. So, how better should it be written ? — ErAB
– ErAB, Commented Dec 1, 2014 at 15:35
grep -w 7171 "$ABC" > ... there's literally no need for echo there. — Etan Reisner
– Etan Reisner, Commented Dec 1, 2014 at 15:37
And if /home/username/dir exists then you should check permissions on it but I would expect a different error from that scenario in most cases. — Etan Reisner
– Etan Reisner, Commented Dec 1, 2014 at 15:38
Thanks. But when I run grep -w 7171 "$ABC" > WHERE $ABC is a file name, it throws an ERROR: grep: : No such file or directory — ErAB
– ErAB, Commented Dec 1, 2014 at 15:51

nu11p01n73R · Accepted Answer · 2014-12-01 19:17:03Z

1

How about

([ ! -d /home/username/dir/ ] && mkdir /home/username/dir/) && grep -w 7171 $ABC > /home/username/dir/dir_$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S).csv

[ ! -d /home/username/dir/ ] test if the directory exists
mkdir /home/username/dir/ creates the directory if it doesnt exist.
rep -w 7171 $ABC > /home/username/dir/dir_$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S).csv grep the result to the file

answered Dec 1, 2014 at 15:39

nu11p01n73R

26.8k3 gold badges42 silver badges52 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Comments

fredtantini · Accepted Answer · 2014-12-01 15:36:28Z

0

Probably because dir does not exist. You will have to create it:

~$ echo "a" > f
~$ echo "a" > dir/f
-bash: dir/f: No such file or directory
~$ mkdir dir
~$ echo "a" > dir/f
~$

answered Dec 1, 2014 at 15:36

fredtantini

16.6k8 gold badges51 silver badges58 bronze badges