UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

I am trying to see if a word exists within the file, then do command accordingly.

Code:

cmd=$(grep -ci "$word" $file)

if [ "$cmd" != "0" ]; then
        echo "Word exists"
else
        echo "Word does not exist."
fi

I try this code, but it keeps giving me syntax errors for the cmd line. Am I doing something wrong here?

Your shell may not support $( ), only ` `, but that's not the only problem with this statement.

You do not need to run grep -c in backticks to check whether it found anything. grep gives proper return codes, just like any other program. You can plug it directly into if.

Code:

if grep -l "$word" filename >/dev/null
then
        echo "$word is contained in filename"
else
        echo "$word is absent from filename"
fi

The -l is just a minor efficiency improvement. Grep should stop after the first match instead of processing the entire file. See man grep for details.

Please post what Operating System and version you have and what Shell you are using.

Code:

uname -a  # Blotting anything confidential like machine names
echo "${SHELL}"

I can't see anything wrong with the script providing that your login Shell is a Posix Shell (and not something funny like csh or an ancient Bourne Shell).

Please post the error message.

Worked perfectly. Thanks.