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Interpolate a variable with single quotes

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# 1  
Old 05-11-2012
Lightbulb Interpolate a variable with single quotes
I need to interpolate a shell variable in a code, i cannot share the exact code so this is an example i made up to describe the situation

What I am trying to do here is try to wrap up the value of a variable in single quotes. This value needs to be passed to another program which would only process it if it is in single quotes.

This is the code...

Code:
#!/bin/ksh
set -x
 
a=mnop1234
b="'"$a"'"
echo $b
 
prog1 $b

output
Code:
+ a=mnop1234
+ b=''\''mnop1234'\'''
+ echo ''\''mnop1234'\'''
'mnop1234'
+ prog1 ''\''mnop1234'\'''


here, prog1 fails because it is expecting

Code:
prog1 'mnop1234'

instead it gets

Code:
prog1 ''\''mnop1234'\'''

Please help!!
# 2  
Old 05-11-2012
prog1 ''\''mnop1234'\''' is fine.

Please post the contents of prog1. There could be a discrepancy in the way arguments are handled by prog1.
# 3  
Old 05-11-2012
Sorry cannot share the contents of prog1 because
1. it is binary
2. it is copyrighted

Sorry but I can share only limited info on this due to security issues.

Also,

Code:
 
prog1 ''\''mnop1234'\'''

doesn't work
it will only work in this format

Code:
 
prog1 'mnop1234'

# 4  
Old 05-11-2012
Ok, here's an example to clear things up. Let us know if this is what you're looking for:

Code:
[root@host dir]# cat test.sh
#! /bin/bash
echo $1
[root@host dir]# ./test.sh 'mnop1234'
mnop1234
[root@host dir]# ./test.sh ''\''mnop1234'\'''
'mnop1234'
[root@host dir]#

# 5  
Old 05-11-2012
It is the same:

Code:
$ a=''\''mnop1234'\'''
$ echo "$a"
'mnop1234'

Code:
$ b=mnop1234
$ a="'$b'"
$ echo "$a"
'mnop1234'

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