my case statement doesn't work..

sureshy · #1 (**permalink**) 07-10-2002

CO UNixware 7.1.1

Hi friends,

I have chopped my case statementt out of my .profile and put it in another script called setsid. The case statement works when run from my .profile but not from my setsid file.

All that the script does is set an environmental variable based on user input. The variable is ORACLE_SID.

Here is my script.

Code:

#! /bin/sh

echo
echo "What do you want to set your ORACLE_SID to ?
1: wmsdata
2: wmstest
3: wmsctl"
echo
read RESPONSE DUMMY

case "$RESPONSE" in
1)
  ORACLE_SID=wmsdata
  export ORACLE_SID
  alias pfile='cd $ORACLE_HOME/admin/wmsdata/pfile/'
  alias bdump='cd $ORACLE_HOME/admin/wmsdata/bdump/'
  alias udump='cd $ORACLE_HOME/admin/wmsdata/udump/'
  ;;
2)
  ORACLE_SID=wmstest
  export ORACLE_SID
  alias pfile='cd $ORACLE_HOME/admin/wmstest/pfile/'
  alias bdump='cd $ORACLE_HOME/admin/wmstest/bdump/' 
  alias udump='cd $ORACLE_HOME/admin/wmstest/udump/'
  ;;
3)
  ORACLE_SID=wmsctl
  export ORACLE_SID
  alias pfile='cd $ORACLE_HOME/admin/wmsctl/pfile/'
  alias bdump='cd $ORACLE_HOME/admin/wmsctl/bdump/'
  alias udump='cd $ORACLE_HOME/admin/wmsctl/udump/'
  ;;
*)
  ORACLE_SID=wmsdata
  export ORACLE_SID
  alias pfile='cd $ORACLE_HOME/admin/wmsdata/pfile/'
  alias bdump='cd $ORACLE_HOME/admin/wmsdata/bdump/'
  alias udump='cd $ORACLE_HOME/admin/wmsdata/udump/'
  ;;
esac

The problem is that when I run this script the ORACLE_SID stays the same and does not change.

when I set -vx I notice that th list of commands associated with the reponse do run, yet the variable does not change.

Please help.

Thanks in advance

Suresh

added code tags for readability --oombera

majeed73 · #2 (**permalink**) 07-10-2002

I am new to unix, but i think i can give you a small tip, sometimes tips from stupids makes great history.. LOL

I think that the variable you are setting in your script, is only available for the shell your script is creating, in order to make it available for other shells, I am not sure, but i think you can use EXPORT {variable name} at the end of the script.

sureshy · #3 (**permalink**) 07-10-2002

HI,

RESPONSE is not needed outside of the script.
ORACLE_SID is, which is why it is exported.

exporting RESPONSE does nothing.

Perderabo · #4 (**permalink**) 07-10-2002

majeed73 was kinda on the right track. When your login shell runs your shell script, it creates a child process. Inside that child process you are changing ORACLE_SID. Since it is exported, if that child process was to create any children of its own, those children would see the new ORACLE_SID. But a child cannot affect its parent. When the child process exits, the parent continues with the old value for ORACLE_SID. There is nothing that the child can do to change this. Ditto with your aliases by the way.

Since this stuff was in your .profile, your login shell must also be /bin/sh. The parent could invoke the script as a dotted script. Instead of:
"./script" or "script"
do this:
". ./script" or ". script"

That will cause the script to run in the current shell rather than a subshell. And you should be able to alias that:
alias script=". $HOME/realscript"
or whatever. So now the command "script" would do what you want.

sureshy · #5 (**permalink**) 07-10-2002

Thankyou very much for your help and explanation, works like a dream.

Again and Again this site never ceases to amaze me!

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