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Full Discussion: Shell Script to replace text
Top Forums Shell Programming and Scripting Shell Script to replace text Post 302396955 by joebaber on Saturday 20th of February 2010 01:02:37 AM
Old 02-20-2010
Shell Script to replace text
I need a little help with a shell script. I want to be able to specify parameters so that the script searches multiple files (specified as parameters) and only modifies the file if it finds the string of text. For the files it doesn't find the string of text within, it should leave it alone.

So far, it seems like it only checks the first file and if that one is "true", it creates a .bak file for the remaining files (or vice versa if the first text file comes back as "false". It is replacing the text in all text files specified, but it is creating the .bak files when it is not necessary.

As an example, If i have four text files: text1.txt, text2.txt, text3.txt text4.txt, I would want to have the script look through each file, see if the string of text exists and then replace the string only if it exists, such as:

./script Hello Goodbye text1.txt text2.txt text3.txt text4.txt

Ideally, this would replace the string 'Hello' with the string 'Goodbye' in those four files.



Script I have so far:

Code:
#!/bin/sh

p1=$1
p2=$2
SEARCH=`grep $p1 $3 | wc -l`

while [ ! -z "$3" ]
do
  if [ $SEARCH -ge 1 ]
  then
    mv $3 $3.bak
    sed -e "s/$p1/$p2/g" $3.bak > $3
    shift
  else
    shift
  fi
done

Last edited by Scott; 02-20-2010 at 02:08 AM.. Reason: Please use code tags
 

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LEARN ABOUT REDHAT

mac2unix

dos2unix(1)						      General Commands Manual						       dos2unix(1)

NAME

       dos2unix - DOS/MAC to UNIX text file format converter

SYNOPSYS

       dos2unix [options] [-c convmode] [-o file ...] [-n infile outfile ...]

       Options:

       [-hkqV] [--help] [--keepdate] [--quiet] [--version]

DESCRIPTION

       This manual page documents dos2unix, the program that converts plain text files in DOS/MAC format to UNIX format.

OPTIONS

       The following options are available:

       -h --help
	      Print online help.

       -k --keepdate
	      Keep the date stamp of output file same as input file.

       -q --quiet
	      Quiet mode. Suppress all warning and messages.

       -V --version
	      Prints version information.

       -c --convmode convmode
	      Sets conversion mode. Simulates dos2unix under SunOS.

       -o --oldfile file ...
	      Old file mode. Convert the file and write output to it. The program default to run in this mode. Wildcard names may be used.

       -n --newfile infile outfile ...
	      New  file  mode.	Convert the infile and write output to outfile. File names must be given in pairs and wildcard names should NOT be
	      used or you WILL lost your files.

EXAMPLES

       Get input from stdin and write output to stdout.

	      dos2unix

       Convert and replace a.txt. Convert and replace b.txt.

	      dos2unix a.txt b.txt

	      dos2unix -o a.txt b.txt

       Convert and replace a.txt in ASCII conversion mode.  Convert and replace b.txt in ISO conversion mode.  Convert	c.txt  from  Mac  to  Unix
       ascii format.

	      dos2unix a.txt -c iso b.txt

	      dos2unix -c ascii a.txt -c iso b.txt

	      dos2unix -c mac a.txt b.txt

       Convert and replace a.txt while keeping original date stamp.

	      dos2unix -k a.txt

	      dos2unix -k -o a.txt

       Convert a.txt and write to e.txt.

	      dos2unix -n a.txt e.txt

       Convert a.txt and write to e.txt, keep date stamp of e.txt same as a.txt.

	      dos2unix -k -n a.txt e.txt

       Convert and replace a.txt. Convert b.txt and write to e.txt.

	      dos2unix a.txt -n b.txt e.txt

	      dos2unix -o a.txt -n b.txt e.txt

       Convert c.txt and write to e.txt. Convert and replace a.txt.  Convert and replace b.txt. Convert d.txt and write to f.txt.

	      dos2unix -n c.txt e.txt -o a.txt b.txt -n d.txt f.txt

DIAGNOSTICS

BUGS

       The program does not work properly under MSDOS in stdio processing mode.  If you know why is that so, please tell me.

AUTHORS

       Benjamin Lin - <blin@socs.uts.edu.au>

       Bernd Johannes Wuebben (mac2unix mode) <wuebben@kde.org>

MISCELLANY

       Tested environment:

	      Linux 1.2.0 with GNU C 2.5.8

	      SunOS 4.1.3 with GNU C 2.6.3

	      MS-DOS 6.20 with Borland C++ 4.02

       Suggestions and bug reports are welcome.

SEE ALSO

       unix2dos(1) mac2unix(1)

1995.03.31							   dos2unix v3.0						       dos2unix(1)
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