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Command expansion and variables

 
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# 1  
Old 06-14-2013
Command expansion and variables
Command expansions are pretty useful in some situations, however, I am not understanding why expansions do not update files, folders, directories, or even the current time, when there are placed in variables. For example:

Code:
#create variable
d=$(date)


result

Code:
echo $d
Fri Jun 14 15:48:04 EDT 2013
echo $d

Fri Jun 14 15:48:04 EDT 2013
echo $d

Fri Jun 14 15:48:04 EDT 2013
echo $d

Fri Jun 14 15:48:04 EDT 2013
echo $d

I would assume that it would up the the current time.
# 2  
Old 06-14-2013
You only ran the date command once, and stored it in a (static) variable, which you then "echo'd" a few times.

If you want the date to be "up-to-date", you need to run date every time you need it.

Code:
[root@lfs1 ~]# d='$(date)'
[root@lfs1 ~]# eval echo $d
Fri Jun 14 23:58:20 CEST 2013
[root@lfs1 ~]# eval echo $d
Fri Jun 14 23:58:21 CEST 2013
[root@lfs1 ~]# eval echo $d
Fri Jun 14 23:58:23 CEST 2013

# 3  
Old 06-14-2013
How would I got about getting the variable to update the command?
# 4  
Old 06-14-2013
If all you're going to do is echo it, just run the date command. If you just want a shorthand method of printing the date, create an alias or a function and call them when you want to print the date.
# 5  
Old 06-14-2013
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott
If all you're going to do is echo it, just run the date command. If you just want a shorthand method of printing the date, create an alias or a function and call them when you want to print the date.
I was just attempting to understand why it was acting this way.
# 6  
Old 06-14-2013
OK. Is it clear now?
# 7  
Old 06-14-2013
I am new to unix, so I kind of understand, but I just assumed that putting a simple command like date or ls, in a variable, it would output the same as the original command.
 
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