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From: levy@cbnewsc.ATT.COM (Daniel R. Levy)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: Possible bug in SunOS System V echo?
Message-ID: <15488@cbnewsc.ATT.COM>
Date: 3 May 90 23:44:51 GMT
References: <4852@helios.TAMU.EDU> <14020094@hpisod2.HP.COM> <3851@munnari.oz.au>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Naperville IL
Lines: 27

In article <3851@munnari.oz.au>, kre@cs.mu.oz.au (Robert Elz) writes:
> >     echo "This is a variable value: $myvar"
> As best as I can tell, there's no easy way to reliably print the value
> of an unknown variable using the Sys V echo.
> 
> Try
> 
> 	myvar='\n'
> before the 2nd of the above with the V7 (BSD) and Sys V echos.

True.  There IS a portable-but-ugly way to implement a non-interpreting echo
under sh (csh too?):

cat << !
This is a variable value: $myvar
!

In the example given, this would print

This is a variable value: \n

under both System V and BSD.
-- 
Daniel R. Levy                        >>> God: just say "yes" <<<
AT&T Bell Laboratories        UNIX(R) mail:  att!ttbcad!levy, att!cbnewsc!levy
1000 East Warrenville Rd.     Any opinions expressed in the message above are
Naperville, Illinois  60566   mine, and not necessarily AT&T's.