UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

#!/bin/bash -

# @(#) s2       Demonstrate collapse of all lines in file to a single line.

echo
echo "(Versions displayed with local utility \"version\")"
version >/dev/null 2>&1 && version =o $(_eat $0 $1) tr sed
echo

FILE=${1-data1}
echo " Input file $FILE:"
cat $FILE

temp=$( tr '\n' ',' <$FILE )

echo
echo " Contents of string after tr:"
echo $temp

temp1=${temp/%,/}
echo
echo " Contents of string after clean-up:"
echo $temp1

temp2=$( echo $temp | sed 's/,$//' )
echo
echo " Contents of cleaned string, sed alternative:"
echo $temp2

exit 0

% ./s2

(Versions displayed with local utility "version")
Linux 2.6.11-x1
GNU bash 2.05b.0
tr (coreutils) 5.2.1
GNU sed version 4.1.2

 Input file data1:
1
2
3
4
5

 Contents of string after tr:
1,2,3,4,5,

 Contents of string after clean-up:
1,2,3,4,5

 Contents of cleaned string, sed alternative:
1,2,3,4,5

var=$(<file1)
var=${var//
/,}

print $var

1,2,3,4,5