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Validating user input

 
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# 1  
Old 11-22-2009
Validating user input
I'm trying to set up a script that takes user input and validates that the user input was entered correctly.

So far I have this:

Code:
while :
do
        echo "Please enter your name."
        read NAME
        if [$NAME = ""]

        then
        echo "You have not entered a name."
        echo "Please try again."
        continue

        else
        echo "Your name is $NAME."
        break

        fi
done


if I leave it blank it asks me to re-enter a name. Now my question is how would I ask the user to re-input a name if they put a number within their name... ie Al45an.

Thanks.
Last edited by fufaso; 11-22-2009 at 09:21 AM.. Reason: code tags, please...
# 2  
Old 11-22-2009
Code:
if [ "$NAME" = "" ]

# 3  
Old 11-22-2009
bash ..

Code:
        if [ -z $NAME ]

# 4  
Old 11-22-2009
Thanks guys, that fixed my issue.

Any ideas how to validate that the user put in a name as oppose to numbers?
As it stands, if the user inputs 123 for their name, that's what stores...
# 5  
Old 11-23-2009
In bash/ksh you could use e.g.
Code:
if [ "$NAME" = "" ] || [ "${NAME//[!0-9]}" != "" ];

But I would just use a case statement, which is universal and easier to understand:
Code:
case $NAME in 
  ""|*[0-9]*) 
        echo "You have not entered a name."
        echo "Please try again."
        ;;
  *)
        echo "Your name is $NAME."
        break
        ;;
esac

# 6  
Old 11-23-2009
This is what I've got with the code you showed me, and it's catching numbers, but it's also catching letters and there is an endless loop of re-entering the name regardless of what is inputted.

Code:
while :
do
        echo "Please enter your name."
        read NAME
        if [ "$NAME" = "" ] || [ "{$NAME//[!0-9]}" != "" ];
        then
        echo "You have not entered a name."
        echo "Please try again."
        continue

        else
        echo "Your name is $NAME."
        break

        fi
done

# 7  
Old 11-23-2009
Hi fufaso
Code:
"${NAME//[!0-9]}"

 
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