Shell Programming and Scripting

I have a file which has the following rows

Code:

abcd
efgh

I want to store them in seperate variables
example:

Code:

$1=abcd
$2=efgh

Also there may be new records which can be added to the file

How do i write a script which will automatically create a new variable and store the new record in it

example:

Code:

abcd
efgh
ijkl ( this is new )

so the script should automatically create a variable $3 and store ikjl in it

Please help

Moderator's Comments:

Use [code] and [/code] tags when posting code, data or logs etc. to preserve formatting and enhance readability, thanks.

An array might be helpful. What shell are you using? If you are using a shell and not perl for example, defining variables never start with a leading $. Only when you call their value you start their names with a leading $.

I am using the Bourne shell , my apologies for not specifying that .. also apologise for the confusion with the $ sign , I should not have used the $ sign

I have a work around solution see below.

for example if you want to print the 3rd variable on file use below:-

Code:

nawk '{print $3}' RS=" " infile.txt

the second one:-

Code:

nawk '{print $2}' RS=" " infile.txt

the new one:-

Code:

nawk '{print "the number of the variable"}' RS=" " infile.txt

Afaik Bourne Shell offers no arrays sadly. Are you sure you use a Bourne Shell and not a Bourne Again Shell (bash)?
Please do a

Code:

echo $SHELL

to at least see what login shell you have.

If it is really a Bourne Shell, you can do a trick with a list and a counter, which just declares as many variables as the list has elements:

Code:

$> cat mach.ksh
#!/bin/sh

LIST="aaa bbb ccc ddd"

for ELE in $LIST
do
COUNTER=$(expr $COUNTER + 1)
   eval ELE$COUNTER="$ELE"
done

echo $ELE2
$> ./mach.ksh
bbb

Please give more clue about the final thing you are trying to achieve, i am sure people could provide a much better accurrate help to you

Thank you for your responses

a) I am using a BASH

b) I have a Informatica job which produces a set of output files for different clients

example DSNY_file.out , DOHMH_file.out

c) I have a script which gives me the values DSNY , DOHMH in a file say a.out , the contents of a.out file is

DSNY
DOHMH

d) There can be a situation in future where another datasource can be added say FDNY

e) I am trying to store these values in a variable and use the variables to automatically generate parameter files for each client , at present I am coding the script for each of these agencies , so in future any agency is added to the list I want to avoid any changes to the shell script , the shell script should automatically generate the new variable and this new variable will be used to generate the respective parameter file

f) so say a new agency FDNY is added , the script should automatically create a new variable and store this value and I intend to use this value to generate my parameter file