UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hi

lets say i have a variable

Code:

output="string"

how can you find the length of the string contained in this variable? i guess "wc" cannot be used. its only for files.

Code:

> output="string" 

> echo ${#output}
6

Of course you can use wc as it can process input from <stdin>

Code:

output="string"
echo $output | wc -m

Thanks a lot guys

You can use wc for this problem.

echo `expr $(echo $output | wc -m) - 1`

the wc -m command will provide number of characters
however, an extra character is echo'd (perhaps a carriage return)
thus, the need to do the math and subtract 1

So, previous solution of
echo ${#output}
would work better.
But, because there is always another way with unix and the original post said wc was for files, I wanted to show that the wc command could be used.

echo outputs the trailing newline, so the result will have 1 extra character.

Code:

echo -n $output | wc -m

Ok cool! i learn new things everyday