07-08-2004
backslash issues
Hi,
I have a script which looks through an input file and takes data from the file to use within the script.
Everything works fine until the script reads the item \windows\directory\structure\ from the input file into a variable.
As unix sees the backslash as an escape character, the variable, when echoed shows windowsdirectorystructure when the literal \windows\directory\structure\ is required.
I tried excaping the escape characters in the input file so that the variable included them, ie putting \\windows\\directory\\structure\\ into the input file. This came back with the same incorrect result too. I also tried \\\windows\\\directory\\\structure\\\ just in case the shell interpreted the variable another time but this showed the same result too.
I also tried using '\windows\directory\structure\' including single quotes in the input file but the variable literally is '\windows\directory\structure\' including single quotes.
If I try assigning the variable on the command line rather than from within the script, I get the desired result. ie
var='\windows\directory\structure\'
echo $var
\windows\directory\structure\
Does anyone have any advice on how I can get the variable in the script to equal \windows\directory\structure\ ?
Many thanks
Helen
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LEARN ABOUT MOJAVE
escape
escape(1) Mail Avenger 0.8.3 escape(1)
NAME
escape - escape shell special characters in a string
SYNOPSIS
escape string
DESCRIPTION
escape prepends a "" character to all shell special characters in string, making it safe to compose a shell command with the result.
EXAMPLES
The following is a contrived example showing how one can unintentionally end up executing the contents of a string:
$ var='; echo gotcha!'
$ eval echo hi $var
hi
gotcha!
$
Using escape, one can avoid executing the contents of $var:
$ eval echo hi `escape "$var"`
hi ; echo gotcha!
$
A less contrived example is passing arguments to Mail Avenger bodytest commands containing possibly unsafe environment variables. For
example, you might write a hypothetical reject_bcc script to reject mail not explicitly addressed to the recipient:
#!/bin/sh
formail -x to -x cc -x resent-to -x resent-cc
| fgrep "$1" > /dev/null
&& exit 0
echo "<$1>.. address does not accept blind carbon copies"
exit 100
To invoke this script, passing it the recipient address as an argument, you would need to put the following in your Mail Avenger rcpt
script:
bodytest reject_bcc `escape "$RECIPIENT"`
SEE ALSO
avenger(1),
The Mail Avenger home page: <http://www.mailavenger.org/>.
BUGS
escape is designed for the Bourne shell, which is what Mail Avenger scripts use. escape might or might not work with other shells.
AUTHOR
David Mazieres
Mail Avenger 0.8.3 2012-04-05 escape(1)