Shell Programming and Scripting

I can't seem to find anywhere how to syntactically reference a range of parameters in the script I am trying to write.

My script requires at least 2 parameters to run, with parameter 1 being the main file, which I want appended to x amount of target files, which will be parameters 2 through whatever.

I know how to reference parameters separately like $1, $2, etc., and how to reference all parameters like $#, but how can I reference all parameters except for parameter 1?

Example:

For all parameters except $1
do
if [ ! -rw $?] then;
echo "Permission denied!"
exit
fi
done

$0 represents the script that is being executed, all other command line parameters will be numbered in series begining with $1, $2, $3, ..$n.

try something like this

Code:

while [ $# -gt 0 ]
do
   #Add whatever it is you want to accomplish here!

   echo "Processing Parameter --> $1"

   #Test To See if File Exists and is writable
   if [ ! -w $1 ]
    then
       echo "Sorry. Permission Denied."
   fi

   #Get the next file.
   shift
done

Thanks. I had something similar, but I just need to work out some bugs. I was trying to combine comparative operator commands, but I guess what I have will work as well.

I thought I had it pretty much all set minus some minor modifications, but I guess I was wrong. All I'm trying to do is write a simple script that will append the text from one file to the beginning of all files I list as parameters.

What I am attempting is to be able to type the command:

$ myScript file1 file2...file10

and have the contents of file1 appended to each of the files listed after. Obviously, if there are less than two parameters an error must be generated, which I have accomplished successfully. I just don't know how to get the script to ignore the first parameter as part of the loop. I think that is my only real problem other than the error I'm getting in regards to the else statement part of my script.

Am I at least in the right ballpark with this one, or just plain lost in sauce?


#!/bin/bash

if [ $# -lt 2 ]
then
echo "Error: insufficient number of parameters."
exit 1
fi

until [ $# -eq 0 ]
do
if [ ! -rw $1 ] then;
echo "Error: permission denied."
else
cat $1 $* > /tmp/tfile
mv /tmp/tfile $*
shift
fi
done
exit 0

Near the start of your script do:
save=$1
shift

Then in the loop:
cat $save $1 > tempfile
mv tempfile $1

Remember that each "shift" eats the old $1. And so the old $2 becomes the new $1 and so on.