Shell Programming and Scripting

hi all
i need help
I am confused and stucked. Actually i am new in this scripting stuff. I want to give complete txt file as a input to a variable and then sort the data in the file according to the alpha numeric characters, as my text file contains ! and !! and !!! indicating Minor, Major and Critical repectively. Each alpha numeric represent new entry. I am trying to do but all in vain, help needed plz,codes which i am trying are as follows,

[code]:

#!/bin/bash
alarmfile= `cat ~/alkatel.txt`
[\code]

i tried so many times but whenever i try to take file as input by code above but i got the output

>> : command not found

its a long file ,im sending a part of this text file that i want to take as input

example of file

>> ALAIL;

CMD ALAIL 06095 08-01-30 11-58-23
INP ALAIL 06095 08-01-30 11-58-23
OPTEX=



RES ALAIL 06095 08-01-30 11-58-24
CEN=1/08-01-30/11 H 58 MN 19/STORED ALARMS LIST
PROCESSING TPFFIR ACC


! *A0628/540 /07-12-17/15 H 58/N=7598/TYP=ICT/CAT=SI/EVENT=MAL
/NCEN=MULCT /AM =SMTA1/AGEO=S1-TR01-B03-A085-R000
/TEXAL=AIS/COMPL.INF:
/AF=URMA1
/ ICTRQ AGCA=S1-TR01-B03-A112-R065
/AMET=01-07-02
/AFLR=222-09/CRC=NACT
!!! *A0628/303 /07-12-17/15 H 46/N=7501/TYP=COM/CAT=IM/EVENT=MAL
/NCEN=MULCT /AFUR =URAD- 4/AGEO=BUDLASAN-B01
/TEXAL=SINGLE JUNCT/UT OOS/COMPL.INF:
/CN=3

if i removed these >> operators from the start of file i again got the same output

ALAIL ; :command not found

even this file doesnt have executeable permission but still i am getting this message
i am so confused as i am still at my first step since 3 days
please help me, why it doesnt take the whole file as text input rather the first word and ignorin the rest of file

as i told befor ! & !!! showing minor & critical alarms.its a log file of alkatel switch & i have to extract

!!! , !! , !
with relevant
date & time e.g !!! */07-12-17/15 H 46/
event i.e. EVENT=MAL
& texal i.e. /TEXAL=SINGLE JUNCT/UT OOS/COMPL.INF

i collected stuff about reg exp from this site to take yhe substring but couldnt find a way still

let me make it very clear that i need this script in bash onlynot perl and any other language

i tried another script to extract entry components from the file as

Code:

:
#!/bin/bash
var=~/alkatel.txt
while read line $var
do
{
echo $line
}done

but the out put became the infinite loop of the first line as

>> ALAIL; :command not found

can any one do it
waiting for reply soon

file starts as follows

>> ALAIL;

CMD ALAIL 06095 08-01-30 11-58-23
INP ALAIL 06095 08-01-30 11-58-23
OPTEX=



RES ALAIL 06095 08-01-30 11-58-24
CEN=1/08-01-30/11 H 58 MN 19/STORED ALARMS LIST
PROCESSING TPFFIR ACC


! *A0628/540 /07-12-17/15 H 58/N=7598/TYP=ICT/CAT=SI/EVENT=MAL
/NCEN=MULCT /AM =SMTA1/AGEO=S1-TR01-B03-A085-R000
/TEXAL=AIS/COMPL.INF:
/AF=URMA1
/ ICTRQ AGCA=S1-TR01-B03-A112-R065
/AMET=01-07-02
/AFLR=222-09/CRC=NACT
!!! *A0628/303 /07-12-17/15 H 46/N=7501/TYP=COM/CAT=IM/EVENT=MAL
/NCEN=MULCT /AFUR =URAD- 4/AGEO=BUDLASAN-B01
/TEXAL=SINGLE JUNCT/UT OOS/COMPL.INF:
/CN=3


!!! *A0628/306 /08-01-23/07 H 20/N=9619/TYP=COM/CAT=IM/EVENT=MAL
/NCEN=MULCT /AFCN =CNLM3-4/AGEO=MKRASHID-B02-A003
/TEXAL=CN ISOLATED
!!! *A0628/303 /07-12-17/15 H 46/N=7503/TYP=COM/CAT=IM/EVENT=MAL
/NCEN=MULCT /AFUR =URAD- 12/AGEO=KHOTYWAL-B01
/TEXAL=SINGLE JUNCT/UT OOS/COMPL.INF:
/CN=0
!!! *A0628/089 /08-01-29/22 H 14/N=1760/TYP=ENP/CAT=IM/EVENT=MAL
/NCEN=MULCT /AFUR =URAD- 11/AGEO=QADIRPUR-B01
/TEXAL=GENERATING UNIT


!! *A0628/320 /08-01-17/13 H 47/N=8062/TYP=COM/CAT=ID/EVENT=MAL
/NCEN=MULCT /AFUR =URAL- 15/AGEO=S1-TR01-B04
/TEXAL=FAULTY UNIT/COMPL.INF:
* #F0612/T11F14/NCEN=MULCT /08-01-30/11 H 33/NAM=ODCAB /TDA=0001
/N=7064/NIV=2/ENS=006/SENS=013-000-000/P='0228'H/CN=02/PAR='03'H
/EM: AFUR =URAL- 15
!!! *A0628/303 /07-12-17/15 H 46/N=7506/TYP=COM/CAT=IM/EVENT=MAL
/NCEN=MULCT /AFUR =URAD- 7/AGEO=ADABOSAN-B01
/TEXAL=SINGLE JUNCT/UT OOS/COMPL.INF:
/CN=2


!!! *A0628/303 /07-12-17/15 H 46/N=7507/TYP=COM/CAT=IM/EVENT=MAL
/NCEN=MULCT /AFUR =URAD- 11/AGEO=QADIRPUR-B01
/TEXAL=SINGLE JUNCT/UT OOS/COMPL.INF:
/CN=2
!! *A0628/320 /08-01-26/06 H 39/N=0566/TYP=COM/CAT=ID/EVENT=MAL
/NCEN=MULCT /AFUR =URAD- 14/AGEO=KHOKARAN-B01
/TEXAL=FAULTY UNIT/COMPL.INF:

I don't think read works this way.
Try:

Code:

cat $var | while read line

It appears from your error that you are inadvertantly executing the lines of the file rather than just reading them. Post your full script (use CODE and /CODE tags carefully to make it easier to read) and we'll take a look.

not sure if intended or accidental but remove that space between = and `

#!/bin/bash

set -x
#alarmfile= `cat ~/alkatel.txt`
alarmfile=`cat ~/alkatel.txt`


also in your scripts you might add "set -x" to see the commands as they run to help debugging

actually i want you to have a complete understanding of my problem cozi am beginer & i am still stucked


i have no problem with using space i.e

Code:

:
#!/bin/bash
alarm= `cat ~/alkatel.txt

or

Code:

:
#!/bin/bash
alarm=`cat ~/alkatel.txt

:

these codes display file contents which is fine but the main problem is to extract string components from file which i couldnt
plz read the first thread i posted in very much detail to help me
i realy need this help

waiting for your reply very soon

Where is the closing ticks "`" ? Was that by mistake

Please refrain from usage of statements like
- Very urgent help
- waiting for your reply

following the script i got here worked well in getting file input

Code:

#!/bin/bash
alarm= `cat ~/alkatel.txt`
echo $alarm | while read line
do
{
echo $line
} 
done

thanx 4 it

but will you plz help me in extracting the whole string following ! , !! or !!!
coz i can only extract just one letter at my best using code

the example of file im trying to extract strings is given above

more i am trying to use cut command to extract string components in file.
can i use this command to extract a complete log of alarm from file e.g.

!!! *A0628/303 /07-12-17/15 H 46/N=7501/TYP=COM/CAT=IM/EVENT=MAL
/NCEN=MULCT /AFUR =URAD- 4/AGEO=BUDLASAN-B01
/TEXAL=SINGLE JUNCT/UT OOS/COMPL.INF:
/CN=3

i want to extract the string in this way above
i used the command cut to extract date and time from the file as

Code:

cut -b 16-32 ~/alkatel.txt

but i got the output as

/07-12-17/15 H 46/
T /AFUR =URAD- 4


hope u will understand my problem

please read the threads above , to be sure about solution of my problem