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From: gwc@root.co.uk (Geoff Clare)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.shell
Subject: Re: sed 's/foobar/$string/g'.... can't do this?
Message-ID: <2589@root44.co.uk>
Date: 31 Jan 91 15:26:54 GMT
References: <1991Jan17.003856.469@unicorn.cc.wwu.edu> <135@edi386.UUCP> <1991Jan21.124531.27867@siesoft.co.uk> <7ejp01gY0c.900@amdahl.uts.a <1064@mwtech.UUCP> <2586@root44.co.uk> <8872@star.cs.vu.nl>
Distribution: comp
Organization: UniSoft Ltd., London, England
Lines: 30

In <8872@star.cs.vu.nl> maart@cs.vu.nl (Maarten Litmaath) writes:

}In article <2586@root44.co.uk>,
}	gwc@root.co.uk (Geoff Clare) writes:
})
})Xstring=`sed 's/[\/&\\]/\\&/g' <<!
})$string
})!
})`
})sed 's/foobar/'"$Xstring"'/g'

}Did you actually try your solution?  I guess not.

Yes and no.  I tested the sed command on its own, but then stuck it
inside backquotes without noticing that extra quoting would be required.
Sorry about that - I'll try to be more careful in future.

}The following works:

}Xstring=`sed 's/[\/&\\\\]/\\\\&/g' <<!
}$string
}!
}`

Yes it does.  I would have doubled the backslash in "\/" as well, but
clearly it's not needed.

-- 
Geoff Clare <gwc@root.co.uk>  (Dumb American mailers: ...!uunet!root.co.uk!gwc)
UniSoft Limited, London, England.   Tel: +44 71 729 3773   Fax: +44 71 729 3273