Comparing Special characters (i.e. -,\,/) in an if statment

angelap · #1 (**permalink**) 11-20-2008

I need to validate the special characters of a date (the characters between the year and month & month and day). The data filed is being populated by users and read into the script vi an argument. I want to ensure that the date is a '-' (dash) and not a '/' or '\' (slash).

The every thing I have tried has failed and I have run out of ideas. I'm new to scripting and don't know where else to turn. Please help if you can. Thanks.

# ! /bin/ksh
set -x
V_DATE='2008-08-30'
echo $V_DATE
V_DATE_DASH1=`echo $V_DATE | cut -c 5`
echo 'INFO V_DATE_DASH1: ' $V_DATE_DASH1>>${LOGFILE}
V_DASH='-'
echo 'INFO V_DASH:'$V_DASH>>${LOGFILE}
echo $V_DATE_DASH1 = $V_DASH
if `${V_DATE_DASH1} = ${V_DASH}`
then echo 'INFO V_DATE_DASH1 is OK'>>${LOGFILE}
else echo 'ERROR V_DATE_DASH1 not a "-" '>>${LOGFILE}
usage
fi

vbe · #2 (**permalink**) 11-21-2008

corrected your code but maybe I had too much "beaujolais nouveau" just now...

Code:

#!/usr/bin/ksh
set -x
V_DATE='2008-08-30'
echo $V_DATE
V_DATE_DASH1=$(echo $V_DATE | cut -c 5)
echo 'INFO V_DATE_DASH1: ' $V_DATE_DASH1
V_DASH="-"
echo 'INFO V_DASH:'$V_DASH
read pp
echo $V_DATE_DASH1 = $V_DASH
read pp
if [ "$V_DATE_DASH1" = "$V_DASH" ]
   then echo "INFO V_DATE_DASH1 is OK"
else echo "ERROR V_DATE_DASH1 not a "-" "
   usage  # Im waiting to see...
fi

You can tell me off, I really had too much...

angelap · #3 (**permalink**) 11-21-2008

Thank you. I really appreciate the help. Have another glass to celebrate, it works.

vbe · #4 (**permalink**) 11-21-2008

It was my pleasure.

Best regards

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