Regex in if-then-else statement to match strings


 
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# 1  
Old 09-18-2007
Regex in if-then-else statement to match strings

hello

I want to do a pattern match for string in the if statement, but I am not sure how to use regex inside the if statement.

I am looking for something like this:

Code:
if [ $name = [ab]{2,3} ]; then
.....
....
...
fi

# 2  
Old 09-18-2007
One possible solution:

Code:
if echo $name | grep -Eq '[ab]{2,3}'
then
    echo 'Yesss!'
fi

# 3  
Old 09-18-2007
Hi.

If you can use bash3, then the "=~" operator and "[[" "]]" can be used with regular expressions.

However, a method that would work with all Bourne-family shells would be:
Code:
if echo "$VARIABLE" | grep "regular-expression"
then
  echo Success
else
  echo Failure
fi

Your version of grep may or may not allow the repeat count, GNU grep does.

See man bash for details on the former ... cheers, drl
# 4  
Old 09-19-2007
but this prints the grep result. I tried to redirect the output to /dev/null but then if fails. Is there a way I can avoid the grep result on stdout?
# 5  
Old 09-19-2007
Using a case/esac statement makes regular expressions simple and obvious.

Code:
case $name in
    [ab]{2,3} )
         echo do stuff
         ;;
    * ) 
         ;;
esac

# 6  
Old 09-19-2007
Hi.
Quote:
Originally Posted by porter
Using a case/esac statement makes regular expressions simple and obvious.

Code:
case $name in
    [ab]{2,3} )
         echo do stuff
         ;;
    * ) 
         ;;
esac

Perhaps I am using a too-old version of bash. Version 3.00.16(1) recognizes the [ab] but not the {2,3} part, apparently because the case selectors are expanded in the same fashion as pathnames, not regular expressions:
Code:
#!/bin/bash3

# @(#) s4       Demonstrate case selectors.

set -o nounset
echo

echo "GNU bash $BASH_VERSION" >&2
echo " MUST USE VERSION 3 FOR REGULAR EXPRESSIONS WITH =~ OPERATOR!"
# See: https://www.unix.com/showthread.php?p=302136557&posted=1#post302136557

echo

# if [ $name = [ab]{2,3} ]; then
name="b"
name="bb"
echo " Original string = \"$name\""

case $name in
[ab]{2,3} )
    echo Success
        ;;
* )
    echo Failure
        ;;
esac

echo
name="b{2,3}"
echo " Original string = \"$name\""

case $name in
[ab]{2,3} )
    echo Success
        ;;
* )
    echo Failure
        ;;
esac

exit 0

producing:
Code:
% ./s4

GNU bash 3.00.16(1)-release
 MUST USE VERSION 3 FOR REGULAR EXPRESSIONS WITH =~ OPERATOR!

 Original string = "bb"
Failure

 Original string = "b{2,3}"
Success

... cheers, drl
# 7  
Old 09-20-2007
Yes, it's globbing, not re's.
For {2,3} with globbing:

Code:
bash 3.2.25(1)$ v=b
bash 3.2.25(1)$ case $v in ([ab][ab]|[ab][ab][ab]) echo OK;;(?) echo KO;;esac
KO
bash 3.2.25(1)$ v=bbb
bash 3.2.25(1)$ case $v in ([ab][ab]|[ab][ab][ab]) echo OK;;(?) echo KO;;esac
OK
bash 3.2.25(1)$ # or:
bash 3.2.25(1)$ shopt -s extglob
bash 3.2.25(1)$ v=b
bash 3.2.25(1)$ case $v in ([ab][ab]?([ab])) echo OK;;(?) echo KO;;esac
KO
bash 3.2.25(1)$ v=bb
bash 3.2.25(1)$ case $v in ([ab][ab]?([ab])) echo OK;;(?) echo KO;;esac
OK

 
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