UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

You could simplify the echo/read lines at the beginning:-

Code:

read var?"My prompt:- "

I agree with bakunin though, why is size important? Clear coding that is flexible if you need to adjust it later is far more important. As an exercise I once wrote a menu system in 60 lines no longer than 80 bytes just so I could print it on a single sheet.

It works just fine and was actually used for a production application, but I can hardly read it back now

Write out your logic, then work out the functions. Finally write your code to match your design and put useful comments in. Make it readable.

Also, make sure you do thorough error checking. Imagine if you issue a cd to a directory that does not exist, and then an rm * You might just destroy your home directory or wherever you were

Size should not be an issue. A neat way does not necessarily mean it will be smaller code, for example, using a loop to read a file and then use a single echo .... | cut .... command to extract the data from the line can be a single line, but using two or three variable substitutions may run far faster even if it does take more lines of code.

Sometimes, bigger is better


Robin

hi bakunin,

I really understand your thought but, here i am given a task of writing this code by reducing the no of lines. The person with least number of lines, will be recognised. Thats the reason i posted this. and i truely accept your piece of thought.

Again -- why? Who has tasked you with this? They are being unreasonable.

So, why did you ask for our help. You know that you can easily convert your script into two lines of code by changing some newline characters to semicolon characters. It will be harder to read, harder to maintain, might not be editable with your editor (due to line length), and will be shunned as an example of extremely poor coding practices by anyone who writes code professionally.

But, if that is what you want, go ahead.

The professionals who volunteer their time here to help users learn how to write working code, avoid ridiculous metrics like this like the plague.

You started this thread saying you wanted to improve your code. Making it harder to read and harder to maintain is NOT an improvement!

Sorry for what i posted. I wanted to learn unix in a good way. with good knowledge in it. Right now i am just 2 weeks old in unix trying find a good way of learning and ended up here. Sorry for this post. but i am eager to learn Unix.