AIX

I am having a problem passing a variable as a variable. I am reading a file that contains the value “$BAKDIR”. I want UNIX to recognize it as a variable, but it’s treating it like a string.

Here is an example

#!/bin/sh
BAKDIR=$HOME/;export BAKDIR
echo "BAKDIR = " "$BAKDIR"
#------------------------------------------------------------------
# 1 - Get File names and paths to be cleaned up #
#-----------------------------------------------------------
while read p1 p2 p3
do
echo "$p1" " - " "$p2" " - " "$p3 "
p4=$p1
echo $p4
done < /tmp/tt.txt
exit

The output is this
BAKDIR = /home/mzullo/
$BAKDIR - MERRILL.*BTA* - 45
$BAKDIR
"$BAKDIR" - MERRILL.*BTA* - 45
"$BAKDIR"

The file
/tmp/tt.txt contains
$BAKDIR MERRILL.*BTA* 45
"$BAKDIR" MERRILL.*BTA* 45

How do I get UNIX to treat the value in $p1 “$BAKDIR” as a variable?

You want eval

Code:

eval echo -n \${$p1}
echo " - $p2 - $p3"

I split it up in two separate echos because the quoting / backslashing becomes rather hideous if you want regular variables and eval in the same command.

That did not work. It gave me "${$BAKDIR}: 0403-011 The specified substitution is not valid for this command"

Oh yes, right, you need to modify that slightly.

Code:

eval echo -n $p1

I made it too complex because it's the usual answer, to a slightly more complex question. Sorry.