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getopts - command line arguments

 
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# 1  
Old 09-04-2009
getopts - command line arguments
Hi, I'm having problems with a script where I wanted every single option specified in the command line to have an argument taken with it, but for some reason only d works in the code I will be showing below.

For example if I did ./thisfile -a something
it would come up with "a chosen with " as it doesn't take something in as the argument, and the same happens with b and c too, but with d it actually says "d chosen with something". Can someone tell me why only d is taking in the argument value but not the other 3?

Here is the current test script:
Code:
#!/bin/sh
aflag=
bflag=
cflag=
dflag=
while getopts abcd: option
do
    case $option in
    a)    aflag=1
        aarg="$OPTARG"
    ;;
    b)    bflag=1
        barg="$OPTARG"
    ;;
    c)    cflag=1
        carg="$OPTARG"
    ;;
    d)    dflag=1
        darg="$OPTARG"
    ;;
    esac
done

if [ ! -z "$aflag" ]
then
    echo "a chosen with $aarg";
fi

if [ ! -z "$bflag" ]
then
    echo "b chosen with $barg";
fi

if [ ! -z "$cflag" ]
then
    echo "c chosen with $carg";
fi

if [ ! -z "$dflag" ]
then
    echo "d chosen with $darg";
fi

Last edited by IceX; 09-04-2009 at 05:02 PM..
# 2  
Old 09-04-2009
Hi.

The colon with getopts specifies that the option takes an agrument.

You have to specify a colon after each option that you want an argument to be taken.

i.e.
Code:
getopts abcd:

means that a, b and c are simple agruments and that d takes an option.

Code:
getopts a:b:c:d:

Specifies that all of a, b, c and d require arguments.
# 3  
Old 09-04-2009
Thanks, i was just testing that with quotes earlier from examples but it didn't work, but as you have shown, without them it works.
 
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