LDP/LDP/guide/docbook/abs-guide/protect_literal.sh

149 lines
4.7 KiB
Bash

#! /bin/bash
# protect_literal.sh
# set -vx
:<<-'_Protect_Literal_String_Doc'
Copyright (c) Michael S. Zick, 2003; All Rights Reserved
License: Unrestricted reuse in any form, for any purpose.
Warranty: None
Revision: $ID$
Documentation redirected to the Bash no-operation.
Bash will '/dev/null' this block when the script is first read.
(Uncomment the above set command to see this action.)
Remove the first (Sha-Bang) line when sourcing this as a library
procedure. Also comment out the example use code in the two
places where shown.
Usage:
_protect_literal_str 'Whatever string meets your ${fancy}'
Just echos the argument to standard out, hard quotes
restored.
$(_protect_literal_str 'Whatever string meets your ${fancy}')
as the right-hand-side of an assignment statement.
Does:
As the right-hand-side of an assignment, preserves the
hard quotes protecting the contents of the literal during
assignment.
Notes:
The strange names (_*) are used to avoid trampling on
the user's chosen names when this is sourced as a
library.
_Protect_Literal_String_Doc
# The 'for illustration' function form
_protect_literal_str() {
# Pick an un-used, non-printing character as local IFS.
# Not required, but shows that we are ignoring it.
local IFS=$'\x1B' # \ESC character
# Enclose the All-Elements-Of in hard quotes during assignment.
local tmp=$'\x27'$@$'\x27'
# local tmp=$'\''$@$'\'' # Even uglier.
local len=${#tmp} # Info only.
echo $tmp is $len long. # Output AND information.
}
# This is the short-named version.
_pls() {
local IFS=$'x1B' # \ESC character (not required)
echo $'\x27'$@$'\x27' # Hard quoted parameter glob
}
# :<<-'_Protect_Literal_String_Test'
# # # Remove the above "# " to disable this code. # # #
# See how that looks when printed.
echo
echo "- - Test One - -"
_protect_literal_str 'Hello $user'
_protect_literal_str 'Hello "${username}"'
echo
# Which yields:
# - - Test One - -
# 'Hello $user' is 13 long.
# 'Hello "${username}"' is 21 long.
# Looks as expected, but why all of the trouble?
# The difference is hidden inside the Bash internal order
#+ of operations.
# Which shows when you use it on the RHS of an assignment.
# Declare an array for test values.
declare -a arrayZ
# Assign elements with various types of quotes and escapes.
arrayZ=( zero "$(_pls 'Hello ${Me}')" 'Hello ${You}' "\'Pass: ${pw}\'" )
# Now list that array and see what is there.
echo "- - Test Two - -"
for (( i=0 ; i<${#arrayZ[*]} ; i++ ))
do
echo Element $i: ${arrayZ[$i]} is: ${#arrayZ[$i]} long.
done
echo
# Which yields:
# - - Test Two - -
# Element 0: zero is: 4 long. # Our marker element
# Element 1: 'Hello ${Me}' is: 13 long. # Our "$(_pls '...' )"
# Element 2: Hello ${You} is: 12 long. # Quotes are missing
# Element 3: \'Pass: \' is: 10 long. # ${pw} expanded to nothing
# Now make an assignment with that result.
declare -a array2=( ${arrayZ[@]} )
# And print what happened.
echo "- - Test Three - -"
for (( i=0 ; i<${#array2[*]} ; i++ ))
do
echo Element $i: ${array2[$i]} is: ${#array2[$i]} long.
done
echo
# Which yields:
# - - Test Three - -
# Element 0: zero is: 4 long. # Our marker element.
# Element 1: Hello ${Me} is: 11 long. # Intended result.
# Element 2: Hello is: 5 long. # ${You} expanded to nothing.
# Element 3: 'Pass: is: 6 long. # Split on the whitespace.
# Element 4: ' is: 1 long. # The end quote is here now.
# Our Element 1 has had its leading and trailing hard quotes stripped.
# Although not shown, leading and trailing whitespace is also stripped.
# Now that the string contents are set, Bash will always, internally,
#+ hard quote the contents as required during its operations.
# Why?
# Considering our "$(_pls 'Hello ${Me}')" construction:
# " ... " -> Expansion required, strip the quotes.
# $( ... ) -> Replace with the result of..., strip this.
# _pls ' ... ' -> called with literal arguments, strip the quotes.
# The result returned includes hard quotes; BUT the above processing
#+ has already been done, so they become part of the value assigned.
#
# Similarly, during further usage of the string variable, the ${Me}
#+ is part of the contents (result) and survives any operations
# (Until explicitly told to evaluate the string).
# Hint: See what happens when the hard quotes ($'\x27') are replaced
#+ with soft quotes ($'\x22') in the above procedures.
# Interesting also is to remove the addition of any quoting.
# _Protect_Literal_String_Test
# # # Remove the above "# " to disable this code. # # #
exit 0