Shell METACHAR's in parameters

Kris Stephens [Hail Eris!] krs at uts.amdahl.com
Thu Jan 24 11:55:20 AEST 1991


In article <1991Jan23.045104.5557 at NCoast.ORG> allbery at ncoast.ORG (Brandon S. Allbery KB8JRR) writes:
>As quoted from <11k701EV0dwd00 at amdahl.uts.amdahl.com> by krs at uts.amdahl.com (Kris Stephens [Hail Eris!]):
>+---------------
>| In article <829 at marvin.jpl.oz> david at marvin.jpl.oz (David Magnay) writes:
>| >Can anyone supply a "rule" of how to consistently handle shell parameters inside
>| >a script, when the parameter MAY contain shell meta-characters or a regular
>| >expression. The danger is that the shell is will process the characters, rather
>| >than pass them literally.
>| 
>| 			set -f
>| 			grep $re somefile
>| 			set +f
>+---------------
>
>Still unsafe --- "set -f" in ksh doesn't stop it from splitting at spaces.
>What happens if the value of $re is "x y"?

Absolutely correct.  I *hate* it when things like that slip my mind.

...Kris
-- 
Kristopher Stephens, | (408-746-6047) | krs at uts.amdahl.com | KC6DFS
Amdahl Corporation   |                |                    |
     [The opinions expressed above are mine, solely, and do not    ]
     [necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Amdahl Corp. ]



More information about the Comp.unix.shell mailing list