I'm still new at shell scripting
I want to assign * to a variable an print it. Write now I'm just printing it with:
echo -e "\052"
Is there a way to assign that value to a variable?
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2 Answers
Use $(cmd) or `cmd` to capture a command's output. The $(...) form is preferred because it's easier to nest.
var=$(echo -e "\052")
The shell will interpret escape sequences inside $'...'. That's single quotes with a dollar sign in front.
var=$'\052'
Or of course you could write the asterisk directly. Quote it to prevent wildcard expansion.
var='*'
When you print it, make sure to quote the variable. It's annoying to always have to type double quotes any time you use a variable, but it's usually the right thing to do.
echo "$var" # yes
echo $var # no
1 Comment
glenn jackman
Best advice is from the bottom up.
Using backticks, ``, allows you to capture the output of a command. Many shells have a more sophisticated syntax, $(). But backticks are the most portable.
var=`echo -e "\052"`
