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Shell Programming and Scripting

change directory if available

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# 1  
Old 03-15-2011
change directory if available
I have a simple shell script that prompts the user to enter a directory to navigate to.
What i want it to do and i don't know how to do this is if the directory is invalid automatically navigate to the home directory.

Code:
echo "enter a directory to navigate to:"
read directory

cd $directory

could i use the eval command to see if its a valid directory and if not go to home directory automatically
cd ~

im not sure how to test to see if the directory is invalid..
# 2  
Old 03-15-2011
how about cd $directory
and then check $?, if >0, send him to Home.
# 3  
Old 03-15-2011
I suppose you must use this sourced, since a cd in a subshell does not change the parent:
Code:
while [ 1 ]
do
 echo "Enter a directory to navigate to: \c"
 read d
 if [ ! -d "$d" ]
 then
   echo "From '$pwd', entry '$d' is not a directory."
   continue
 fi
 if [ ! -r "$d" ]
 then
  echo "From '$pwd', entry '$d' is not readable."
  continue
 fi
 .
 .
 .
done

This User Gave Thanks to DGPickett For This Post:
icelated
# 4  
Old 03-15-2011
Try this:
Code:
( [ -d $directory ] && [ -x $directory ] ) || directory="~"
cd $directory

Last edited by Franklin52; 03-16-2011 at 06:21 AM.. Reason: Please use code tags, thank you
# 5  
Old 03-15-2011
or read the return value of your
Code:
cd $directory

if not 0, bring the user to home.

btw, why my reply didn't show?
# 6  
Old 03-15-2011
thank you dg
Last edited by icelated; 03-15-2011 at 02:47 PM..
# 7  
Old 03-15-2011
Quote:
Originally Posted by icelated
what if the user enters ~ or home???
whatever user entered, you execute
Code:
cd [entered value].

then check
Code:
$?

.
if it was "~". $?=0, you don't have to do anything.
this works even if you say "~" is not a valid directory. what shall u do then? bring him to home directory, right? Smilie
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