Shell Programming and Scripting

shortname=user1

read -e -i $shortname -p "Please enter the username you would like to add: " input
USERNAME="${input:-$shortname}"

Please enter the username you would like to add: user1

#!/bin/bash
default=user1
printf "Please enter the username you would like to add (%s): " "$default"
read input
USERNAME=${input:-$default}
echo USERNAME is $USERNAME

#!/bin/bash

oldsettings=$(stty -g)

trap "stty $oldsettings" EXIT

readdefault() { # variable prompt default
        local POS="${#3}"
        local VALUE="$3"
        local C

        stty -icanon min 1 time 0 -icrnl -echo

        printf "%s" "$2$3"

        while true
        do
                C="$(dd bs=10 count=1 2> /dev/null)"

                [ -z "$C" ] && continue

                # Okay, you've got raw keystrokes.  Now you're on your own.
        done

        stty icanon
}

readdefault VAR "Enter something:" "qwerty"