Use shell script to copy a title tag in HTML file

Question

I have two HTML files - a.html and b.html. I would like to replace the title tag in b.html with the one in a.html.

How would we do it using shell script? I know how to do a simple replacement in the same file by using sed command.

a.html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>Document AAAAA</title>
</head>
<body>
    This is Document A
</body>
</html>

b.html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>Document BBBB</title>
</head>
<body>
    This is Document B
</body>
</html>

b.html - afer running the script - Notice "Document BBBBB" is changed to "Document AAAAA"

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>Document AAAAA</title>
</head>
<body>
    This is Document B
</body>
</html>

Max Ivanov · Accepted Answer · 2022-10-20 02:03:05Z

1

GNU sed:

title=`sed -n "s/^.*<title>\(.*\)<\/title>.*$/\1/p" a.html`; \
sed -i "s/^\(.*<title>\).*\(<\/title>.*\)$/\1$title\2/" b.html

BSD/OS X sed:

title=`sed -n "s/^.*<title>\(.*\)<\/title>.*$/\1/p" a.html`; \
sed -i '' "s/^\(.*<title>\).*\(<\/title>.*\)$/\1$title\2/" b.html

Essentially, it takes a.html, replaces the content with its title (\1 group) and sets the result to the title variable.

Then with a very similar regex, it replaces the title in b.html with the variable and saves b.html.

answered Oct 20, 2022 at 2:03

Max Ivanov

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2 Comments

Donut Over a year ago

Tested and it works as expected. Thanks for your explanation as well. Do you have any recommended resources to learn shell script and regex for beginner? Thanks

Max Ivanov Over a year ago

I won't pretend to be a shell scripting expert. It's just some past experience combined with stack overflow collective wisdom )

petrus4 · Accepted Answer · 2022-10-20 01:03:31Z

0

sed -i 's@BBBBB@AAAAA@' b.html

Does that work?

answered Oct 20, 2022 at 1:03

petrus4

6144 silver badges7 bronze badges

1 Comment

Donut Over a year ago

The example is a simplify version. I don't know what is in a.html

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