Shell Programming and Scripting

I posted this issue a week or so ago and I still cant get the script to work. Here is what I have so far and what Im trying to do.

Code:

#!/bin/ksh

old="$1"
new="$2"
file=$3
grep $1 $3 > /dev/null
if [ $? -eq 0 ];then
    cp $3 ${3}.bak
    sed "s/$1/$2/g" $3 > ${3}~
    mv ${3}~ ${3}
fi

the script is used to use parameters to replace strings in a file.

so if I have

~/direct/subst2 string1 string2 filename.txt

subst2 is the script and string 1 should be replaced by string 2 in the file. However I want to search the file for the string1 and if it contains it then replace it and make the backup file. If not, then dont make any changes and no backup file. For some reason the replacement is working correctly.

Worked for me. Can you supply exact command line you are using and a sniplet of the file you are trying to change.

I think there might be some space in one of your params.
Try this:

Code:

#!/bin/ksh
old="${1}"
new="${2}"
file=${3}

egrep -l "${1}" "${3}"  && mv "${3}" "${3}.bak"
if [ $? -eq 0 ];then
   sed "s/${1}/${2}/g" "${3}.bak" > "${3}"
fi

I have reduced someofyour codes.

sweet, thank you I got it to work. Is there an easier way to do this, I have more than one file?

---------- Post updated at 02:04 AM ---------- Previous update was at 01:58 AM ----------

like is there a way for me to do


~/direct/subst2 string1 string2 filename.txt filename2.txt filename3.txt filename4.txt

etc.

Hope you were looking for something like this

Code:

old="${1}"
new="${2}"
shift 2
files="$@"
grep -l $old $files|while read fname
do
   sed "s/$old/$new/g" $fname > $fname.tmp
   mv $fname.tmp $fname
done

exactly what i was looking for, thank you