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Top Forums Shell Programming and Scripting loop because of using 'sort -k 2' Post 302281344 by wiseguy on Wednesday 28th of January 2009 05:05:37 PM
Old 01-28-2009
loop because of using 'sort -k 2'

Hallo,

I have a problem with the sort command:
When I run the following in a shell, it works fine:
Code:
tail -n 2 file.txt | sort -k 1

I tried it under severel shells: c-shell, borne-shell, bash
I get the output I want to have.

But when I use it in my script, I get a mysterious error: I have a menu like this one:
Code:
#!/bin/sh
stop="yes"
while [ $stop = "yes" ]
do
  printf "Select one (1/2/q): "
  read inputkey
  case $inputkey in
    1) echo "you sayed 1"
       tail -n 2 results.txt | sort -k 1;;
    2) echo "you sayed 2"
       tail -n 2 results.txt | sort -k 2;;
    q) echo "you sayed q"
       stop="no";;
    *) echo "You have to select between 1 and 2";;
  esac
done

No I sayed 1 for example - and then there is an unending loop of the asterisk-option:
Code:
Select one (1/2/q): 2
you sayed 2
Select one (1/2/q): You have to select between 1 and 2
Select one (1/2/q): You have to select between 1 and 2
Select one (1/2/q): You have to select between 1 and 2
Select one (1/2/q): You have to select between 1 and 2
Select one (1/2/q): You have to select between 1 and 2
Select one (1/2/q): You have to select between 1 and 2
Select one (1/2/q): You have to select between 1 and 2
Select one (1/2/q): You have to select between 1 and 2
Select one (1/2/q): You have to select between 1 and 2
...

(When I sayed 1, I get the normal output)

What error can that be?
 

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look(1) 						      General Commands Manual							   look(1)

NAME
look - Finds lines in a sorted list SYNOPSIS
look [-df] [-tcharacter] string [file] The look command prints all lines in a sorted file that begin with string. OPTIONS
Uses dictionary order; only letters, digits, tabs, and spaces are used in comparisons. Searches without regard to case; treats uppercase and lowercase as equivalent. Ignores character and characters following it in the search string. If you specify look -tC ABCDE, the string ABCDE would become (in effect) AB, with CDE being ignored. This option is primarily for shell scripts, in which more than one string is being processed. DESCRIPTION
If no file is specified, look searches in the system word list /usr/share/dict/words, with the options -df assumed by default. The look command uses binary search. The -d and -f options affect comparisons as in sort. NOTES
In order to use the -f option, you must first sort file with the sort -f command; otherwise, look displays only lowercase items. If you do not specify -f, but specify a file (such as /usr/share/dict/words) that has been sorted with sort -f, look may not produce any output. EXAMPLES
To search a sorted file called sortfile for all lines that begin with the string as, enter: look as sortfile To search the system word list for all words beginning with smi, enter: look smi This might result in: smile smirk smith smithereens Smithfield Smithson smithy smitten FILES
System word list. SEE ALSO
Commands: grep(1), sort(1), spell(1) look(1)
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