sh recursive sub-shell exit status problem - Shell Programming and Scripting

cfajohnson · #2 (**permalink**) 01-06-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by philp

Hi
I am trying to detect the exit status of a recursive function which I am running as a sub-shell. Below I have listed part of the shell script file that I am running...sorry its still a little long winded:-

Please put code inside [code] tags. (It would be a good idea to edit your original post and add them.)

Quote:

Code:

#!/bin/sh

addFile()
{
  fileName="${1##*/}"           # Extract filename from path.
  if [ $fileName == "phil" ]

== is not a test operator in sh; use =

Quote:

Code:

  then
    return 1 #Kick off error...
  else
    return 0
  fi
}

addCommitFiles()
{
  # Traverse to database directory or below

  cd "$topDir/$1"
  if [ $? != 0 ]
  then
    echo "topDir error $topDir/$1"
    exit 1 # Treat as fatal error.
  fi

  # List all files/dirs in this directory.
  ls | while read i

Thre's no need for ls, and it is the cause of your problem, since all elements of a pipeline are run in subshells. Use:
Code:
for i in *
(I'd recommend using a more descriptive variable name, e.g., file.)

Quote:

Code:

  do
    # Check if directory.
    if [ -d "$i" ]
    then
      # Pass in full relative path to topDir.
      ( addCommitFiles "$1/$i" )
      ret1=$?   # This is never non-zero???
      echo "RET=$ret1 != 1"
      if [ $ret1 != 0 ]
      then
        echo "ERR2???"
        exit 1 # Treat as fatal error.
      fi
      echo "ERR3"
    else
        echo "${rootDir}/$1/${i}"
        addFile "$1/$i"
        if [ $? != 0 ]
        then
          echo "ERR1"
          exit 1 # We get this error and would exoect 
        fi
    fi
  done
  exit 0
}

  # Main
  usrNam="XXX"
  topDir=`pwd`

All POSIX shells have a $PWD variable; use it rather than `pwd` as command substitution is slow in all shells except ksh93.