length of string


 
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# 1  
Old 02-06-2008
length of string

Hi

lets say i have a variable

Code:
output="string"

how can you find the length of the string contained in this variable? i guess "wc" cannot be used. its only for files.
# 2  
Old 02-06-2008
Code:
> output="string" 

> echo ${#output}
6

# 3  
Old 02-06-2008
Quote:
Originally Posted by silas.john
Hi

lets say i have a variable

Code:
output="string"

how can you find the length of the string contained in this variable? i guess "wc" cannot be used. its only for files.
Of course you can use wc as it can process input from <stdin>
Code:
output="string"
echo $output | wc -m

# 4  
Old 02-06-2008
Thanks a lot guys
# 5  
Old 02-06-2008
Tools Perhaps never use, but...

You can use wc for this problem.

echo `expr $(echo $output | wc -m) - 1`

the wc -m command will provide number of characters
however, an extra character is echo'd (perhaps a carriage return)
thus, the need to do the math and subtract 1

So, previous solution of
echo ${#output}
would work better.
But, because there is always another way with unix and the original post said wc was for files, I wanted to show that the wc command could be used.
# 6  
Old 02-06-2008
Quote:
Originally Posted by andryk
Of course you can use wc as it can process input from <stdin>
Code:
output="string"
echo $output | wc -m

echo outputs the trailing newline, so the result will have 1 extra character.
Code:
echo -n $output | wc -m

# 7  
Old 02-06-2008
Quote:
Originally Posted by ghostdog74
echo outputs the trailing newline, so the result will have 1 extra character.
Code:
echo -n $output | wc -m

Ok cool! i learn new things everyday Smilie
 
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