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From: jiii@visdc.UUCP (John E Van Deusen III)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.xenix,comp.unix.questions,comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: SysV echo
Message-ID: <541@visdc.UUCP>
Date: 18 May 89 00:49:05 GMT
References: <128@tdl.UUCP> <7170@bsu-cs.bsu.edu> <12970@ut-emx.UUCP> <536@visdc.UUCP> <17548@mimsy.UUCP>
Reply-To: jiii@visdc.UUCP (John E Van Deusen III)
Distribution: usa
Organization: VI Software Development, Boise, Idaho
Lines: 40

In article <17548@mimsy.UUCP> chris@mimsy.UUCP (Chris Torek) writes:
> suppose you are given a shell variable $foo, and need to echo it
> uninterpreted?
>
> There is a solution (albeit ugly):
>
>	cat << end
>	$foo
>	end

For all purists who are almost certainly destined to be dragged into the
SysV world kicking and screaming, let us formalize this solution as the
command eucho.  [eu] is from the Greek and means "good", "done easily",
or "true".

	cat <<-	*eueod
		$@
	*eueod

> but you may need to do something more.  To keep echo from munching
> away backslashes, you might do this:
>
> [ exasperation and shell humor concerning the difficulty of creating a
>   suitable shell variable deleted ]

Actually SysV echo does not munch all backslashes, only ones it finds
to its liking; echo '\f\g\h' will output <ff>\g\h<cr>.  Is this
unreasonable?  The shell, sh(1), also has an inconsistent appetite
for back slashes.

	foo=FOO
	echo \$foo => $foo
	echo `echo \$foo` => FOO

In the second case the backslash was removed as a special treat, because
the expression was contained within accents grave.
--
John E Van Deusen III, PO Box 9283, Boise, ID  83707, (208) 343-1865

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