I have a script where I take input from user and see if it falls in list of valid entry.

---------------
#!/bin/ksh
VALID_ENTRIES="4|5|6"

echo "enter your choice"
read reply

IFS="|"
echo "valid entries are $VALID_ENTRIES"
case "$REPLY" in
Q|q ) IFS="$IFS_SAVE";return ;;
$VALID_ENTRIES )
IFS="$IFS_SAVE"
echo "The entry is valid";;
*) echo "invalid entry"
esac

-------------------------------------

Now even if user enters a value from 4,5,6 I always get output as invalid entry.

The value of VALID_ENTRIES doesn't seem to get substituted properly.

However if in case statement instead of $VALID_ENTRIES I directly write 4|5|6 for testing purpose it works.

So this shows that exact substitution is not made.
Can somebody help me with this?

Hi.

If you were using bash, you could use:

1) special expression notation feature

@($VALID_ENTRIES)) ... ;;

Here I cannot use literal because the values are obtained at runtime and from that the user has to make a choice.
Also I did not understand how to use the second option.

Hi.

Like so:

#!/bin/bash -

# @(#) s2       Demonstrate variable in case, eval, extglob (bash).

echo
echo "(Versions displayed with local utility \"version\")"
version >/dev/null 2>&1 && version "=o" $(_eat $0 $1)
set -o nounset

echo
echo " Results:"

x="a|b|c|d"
echo " x is :$x:"
echo " Desiring yes, but getting no:"

case a in
  $x) echo yes;;
  *) echo no;;
esac

echo
echo " Expecting yes:"
case a in
  a|b|c|d) echo yes;;
  *) echo no;;
esac

echo
echo " Various features, expecting yes (echo included):"
shopt -s extglob
case a in
  @($(echo $x))) echo yes;;
  *) echo no;;
esac

echo
echo " Various features, expecting yes (echo omitted):"
shopt -s extglob
case a in
  @($x)) echo yes;;
  *) echo no;;
esac

echo
echo " With eval:"
eval "case a in
  $x) echo yes;;
  *) echo no;;
esac "

exit 0

% ./s2

(Versions displayed with local utility "version")
Linux 2.6.11-x1
GNU bash 2.05b.0

 Results:
 x is :a|b|c|d:
 Desiring yes, but getting no:
no

 Expecting yes:
yes

 Various features, expecting yes (echo included):
yes

 Various features, expecting yes (echo omitted):
yes

 With eval:
yes

Hi.

I just ran the script s2 (above) with ksh 93s+, and the case selector construction:

@($variable)) ... ;;

Hi.

With ksh 93+, a solution with IFS="|" also works.

Note that in the original, IFS="$IFS_SAVE" seems to be done without the IFS_SAVE variable being first set... cheers, drl