Hi,

I have to run in a bash script a program that requires the string

'TITLE "Average"'

in the command line with exactly that combination of double and single quotes.

Whatever combinations of quotes, escapes and tricks I try the string passed to
the program is wrong and not accepted. Is there a way to write that in a Bash
script in a way that the prog sees exactly that?

Thanks,

G

G <g@nowhere.invalid> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have to run in a bash script a program that requires the string
>
> 'TITLE "Average"'
>
> in the command line with exactly that combination of double and
> single quotes.
>
> Whatever combinations of quotes, escapes and tricks I try the string
> passed to the program is wrong and not accepted. Is there a way to
> write that in a Bash script in a way that the prog sees exactly that?

$ cat scr
#!/bin/bash

echo I see: \'TITLE\ \"Average\"\'

$ ./scr
I see: 'TITLE "Average"'

Rich <rich@example.invalid> wrote:
> G <g@nowhere.invalid> wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I have to run in a bash script a program that requires the string
>>
>> 'TITLE "Average"'
>>
>> in the command line with exactly that combination of double and
>> single quotes.
>>
>> Whatever combinations of quotes, escapes and tricks I try the string
>> passed to the program is wrong and not accepted. Is there a way to
>> write that in a Bash script in a way that the prog sees exactly that?
>
> $ cat scr
> #!/bin/bash
>
> echo I see: \'TITLE\ \"Average\"\'
>
> $ ./scr
> I see: 'TITLE "Average"'

Yes, I have tried that: in "echo" it works but in a script command line for
some reason doesn't. If I use "set -x" to debug this is what I get

++ echo ''\''TITLE "Average"'\'''
'TITLE "Average"'
++ PROG ''\''TITLE "Average"'\'''

And it gives an error, it seems that echo accept what it sees but a program
gets something different or is not equipped to accept it.

Even weirder the error is

syntax error: 'TITLE "Average"'

Which is the proper string, Probably reformatted in output or something....
I have no idea if it is possible to have <PROG 'TITLE "Average"'> as the
actual command, as if I use that synatx on the comman line it works.

Thanks for the help.

G

G <g@nowhere.invalid> wrote:
> Rich <rich@example.invalid> wrote:
>> G <g@nowhere.invalid> wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I have to run in a bash script a program that requires the string
>>>
>>> 'TITLE "Average"'
>>>
>>> in the command line with exactly that combination of double and
>>> single quotes.
>>>
>>> Whatever combinations of quotes, escapes and tricks I try the string
>>> passed to the program is wrong and not accepted. Is there a way to
>>> write that in a Bash script in a way that the prog sees exactly that?
>>
>> $ cat scr
>> #!/bin/bash
>>
>> echo I see: \'TITLE\ \"Average\"\'
>>
>> $ ./scr
>> I see: 'TITLE "Average"'
>
> Yes, I have tried that: in "echo" it works but in a script command line for
> some reason doesn't. If I use "set -x" to debug this is what I get

Ok, then lets try launching a real program:

$ cat scr
#!/bin/bash

./prog I see: \'TITLE\ \"Average\"\'
$ cat prog
#!/usr/bin/tclsh

puts "my argv is "
set i -1
foreach arg $argv {
puts "argv\[[incr i]\]: |[lindex $argv $i]|"
}

Now, running it:

$ ./scr
my argv is
argv[0]: |I|
argv[1]: |see:|
argv[2]: |'TITLE "Average"'|

Works just fine, in a script file, for this code above, for me. Which
implies something else going wrong for you.

On Thu, 20 Oct 2022 15:36:43 +0000, G wrote:

> Rich <rich@example.invalid> wrote:
>> G <g@nowhere.invalid> wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I have to run in a bash script a program that requires the string
>>>
>>> 'TITLE "Average"'
>>>
>>> in the command line with exactly that combination of double and
>>> single quotes.
>>>
>>> Whatever combinations of quotes, escapes and tricks I try the string
>>> passed to the program is wrong and not accepted. Is there a way to
>>> write that in a Bash script in a way that the prog sees exactly that?
>>
>> $ cat scr
>> #!/bin/bash
>>
>> echo I see: \'TITLE\ \"Average\"\'
>>
>> $ ./scr
>> I see: 'TITLE "Average"'
>
> Yes, I have tried that: in "echo" it works but in a script command line for
> some reason doesn't. If I use "set -x" to debug this is what I get
>
> ++ echo ''\''TITLE "Average"'\'''
> 'TITLE "Average"'
> ++ PROG ''\''TITLE "Average"'\'''
>
> And it gives an error, it seems that echo accept what it sees but a program
> gets something different or is not equipped to accept it.
>
> Even weirder the error is
>
> syntax error: 'TITLE "Average"'
>
> Which is the proper string, Probably reformatted in output or something....
> I have no idea if it is possible to have <PROG 'TITLE "Average"'> as the
> actual command, as if I use that synatx on the comman line it works.
>
> Thanks for the help.
>
> G

Is "syntax error" from the shell or your program?

Show us the actual complete command line being used. And maybe
a complete short script which demonstrates the problem.

Joe Beanfish <joebeanfish@nospam.duh> wrote:
> On Thu, 20 Oct 2022 15:36:43 +0000, G wrote:
>
>> Rich <rich@example.invalid> wrote:
>>> G <g@nowhere.invalid> wrote:
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> I have to run in a bash script a program that requires the string
>>>>
>>>> 'TITLE "Average"'
>>>>
>>>> in the command line with exactly that combination of double and
>>>> single quotes.
>>>>
>>>> Whatever combinations of quotes, escapes and tricks I try the string
>>>> passed to the program is wrong and not accepted. Is there a way to
>>>> write that in a Bash script in a way that the prog sees exactly that?
>>>
>>> $ cat scr
>>> #!/bin/bash
>>>
>>> echo I see: \'TITLE\ \"Average\"\'
>>>
>>> $ ./scr
>>> I see: 'TITLE "Average"'
>>
>> Yes, I have tried that: in "echo" it works but in a script command line for
>> some reason doesn't. If I use "set -x" to debug this is what I get
>>
>> ++ echo ''\''TITLE "Average"'\'''
>> 'TITLE "Average"'
>> ++ PROG ''\''TITLE "Average"'\'''
>>
>> And it gives an error, it seems that echo accept what it sees but a program
>> gets something different or is not equipped to accept it.
>>
>> Even weirder the error is
>>
>> syntax error: 'TITLE "Average"'
>>
>> Which is the proper string, Probably reformatted in output or something....
>> I have no idea if it is possible to have <PROG 'TITLE "Average"'> as the
>> actual command, as if I use that synatx on the comman line it works.
>>
>> Thanks for the help.
>>
>> G
>
> Is "syntax error" from the shell or your program?
>
From the program it is the same if I miss a quote.

> Show us the actual complete command line being used. And maybe
> a complete short script which demonstrates the problem.

The program is xmgrace, a plotting prog, from the command line
xmgrace -pexec 'TITLE "Average' -block NSLB3-3d5-11-V.dat -bxy 1:2
plots the proper graph with the title, in the script I have
xmgrace -pexec \'TITLE\ \"Average\"\' -block NSLB3-3d5-11-V.dat -bxy 1:2
And I get the error.
syntax error: 'TITLE "Average"'
with the right string! I tried a small C program "TestIn" with the lines
int main(int argc, char **argv)
{
printf("<%s> <%s>\n",argv[0],argv[1]);
}
and I get from
TestIn 'TITLE "Average"'
<TestIn> <TITLE "Average">
from
TestIn \'TITLE\ \"Average\"\'
<TestIn> <'TITLE "Average"'>
and the same in a script.

I am starting to think that the problem is the plotting prog. I'll try to
contact the author or maybe download the source and see how the input is
processed.

G

On Thu, 20 Oct 2022 17:08:02 +0000, G wrote:

> Joe Beanfish <joebeanfish@nospam.duh> wrote:
>> On Thu, 20 Oct 2022 15:36:43 +0000, G wrote:
>>
>>> Rich <rich@example.invalid> wrote:
>>>> G <g@nowhere.invalid> wrote:
>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>
>>>>> I have to run in a bash script a program that requires the string
>>>>>
>>>>> 'TITLE "Average"'
>>>>>
>>>>> in the command line with exactly that combination of double and
>>>>> single quotes.
>>>>>
>>>>> Whatever combinations of quotes, escapes and tricks I try the string
>>>>> passed to the program is wrong and not accepted. Is there a way to
>>>>> write that in a Bash script in a way that the prog sees exactly that?
>>>>
>>>> $ cat scr
>>>> #!/bin/bash
>>>>
>>>> echo I see: \'TITLE\ \"Average\"\'
>>>>
>>>> $ ./scr
>>>> I see: 'TITLE "Average"'
>>>
>>> Yes, I have tried that: in "echo" it works but in a script command line for
>>> some reason doesn't. If I use "set -x" to debug this is what I get
>>>
>>> ++ echo ''\''TITLE "Average"'\'''
>>> 'TITLE "Average"'
>>> ++ PROG ''\''TITLE "Average"'\'''
>>>
>>> And it gives an error, it seems that echo accept what it sees but a program
>>> gets something different or is not equipped to accept it.
>>>
>>> Even weirder the error is
>>>
>>> syntax error: 'TITLE "Average"'
>>>
>>> Which is the proper string, Probably reformatted in output or something....
>>> I have no idea if it is possible to have <PROG 'TITLE "Average"'> as the
>>> actual command, as if I use that synatx on the comman line it works.
>>>
>>> Thanks for the help.
>>>
>>> G
>>
>> Is "syntax error" from the shell or your program?
>>
> From the program it is the same if I miss a quote.
>
>> Show us the actual complete command line being used. And maybe
>> a complete short script which demonstrates the problem.
>
> The program is xmgrace, a plotting prog, from the command line
> xmgrace -pexec 'TITLE "Average' -block NSLB3-3d5-11-V.dat -bxy 1:2
> plots the proper graph with the title, in the script I have
> xmgrace -pexec \'TITLE\ \"Average\"\' -block NSLB3-3d5-11-V.dat -bxy 1:2
> And I get the error.
> syntax error: 'TITLE "Average"'
> with the right string!

Yes, of course.

You've escaped the leading and trailing singlequote so they no longer have
special meaning to the shell. That means that the xmgrace program will
receive them verbatum; the argument passed /into/ xmgrace will consist
of a singlequote, followed by the word TITLE, followed by a space, a
doublequote, the word Average, another doublequote and a singlequote.

You can see this if you try using the printf(1) command instead of
the echo command:
16:17 $ printf '[%s]\n' \'TITLE\ \"Average\"\'
['TITLE "Average"']
16:17 $ # xmgrace sees the value between the square brackets

May I suggest
xmgrace -pexec 'TITLE "Average"' -block NSLB3-3d5-11-V.dat -bxy 1:2

The equivalent printf(1) looks like:
16:17 $ printf '[%s]\n' 'TITLE "Average"'
[TITLE "Average"]
16:18 $ # xmgrace sees the value between the square brackets

HTH
--
Lew Pitcher
"In Skills, We Trust"

Lew Pitcher <lew.pitcher@digitalfreehold.ca> wrote:
>>
>> The program is xmgrace, a plotting prog, from the command line
>> xmgrace -pexec 'TITLE "Average' -block NSLB3-3d5-11-V.dat -bxy 1:2
>> plots the proper graph with the title, in the script I have
>> xmgrace -pexec \'TITLE\ \"Average\"\' -block NSLB3-3d5-11-V.dat -bxy 1:2
>> And I get the error.
>> syntax error: 'TITLE "Average"'
>> with the right string!
>
> Yes, of course.
>
> You've escaped the leading and trailing singlequote so they no longer have
> special meaning to the shell. That means that the xmgrace program will
> receive them verbatum; the argument passed /into/ xmgrace will consist
> of a singlequote, followed by the word TITLE, followed by a space, a
> doublequote, the word Average, another doublequote and a singlequote.
>
> You can see this if you try using the printf(1) command instead of
> the echo command:
> 16:17 $ printf '[%s]\n' \'TITLE\ \"Average\"\'
> ['TITLE "Average"']
> 16:17 $ # xmgrace sees the value between the square brackets
>
> May I suggest
> xmgrace -pexec 'TITLE "Average"' -block NSLB3-3d5-11-V.dat -bxy 1:2
>
> The equivalent printf(1) looks like:
> 16:17 $ printf '[%s]\n' 'TITLE "Average"'
> [TITLE "Average"]
> 16:18 $ # xmgrace sees the value between the square brackets

Yes that worked I was sure I tried that before (as it is the same as the CLI
version) and didn't work, but maybe it was slightly different

Thanks,

G

Dnia 20.10.2022 G <g@nowhere.invalid> wrote:

> Whatever combinations of quotes, escapes and tricks I try the string passed to
> the program is wrong and not accepted. Is there a way to write that in a Bash
> script in a way that the prog sees exactly that?

In such cases I usually use quotes in sequence, like this:

cat ./check.sh
#/bin/bash
# we want to achieve this: 'TITLE "Average"'
string="'TITLE"
string=$string' "Average"'
string=$string"'"
echo $string
../program.sh $string

and this program.sh
#!/bin/bash
echo $@

and the result:

../check.sh
'TITLE "Average"'
'TITLE "Average"'

I don't know, however, if this is the right approach :-)

--
Dominik Ałaszewski

On 10/21/22 5:47 AM, G wrote:
> Lew Pitcher <lew.pitcher@digitalfreehold.ca> wrote:
>>>
>>> The program is xmgrace, a plotting prog, from the command line
>>> xmgrace -pexec 'TITLE "Average' -block NSLB3-3d5-11-V.dat -bxy 1:2
>>> plots the proper graph with the title, in the script I have
>>> xmgrace -pexec \'TITLE\ \"Average\"\' -block NSLB3-3d5-11-V.dat -bxy 1:2
>>> And I get the error.
>>> syntax error: 'TITLE "Average"'
>>> with the right string!
>>
>> Yes, of course.
>>
>> You've escaped the leading and trailing singlequote so they no longer have
>> special meaning to the shell. That means that the xmgrace program will
>> receive them verbatum; the argument passed /into/ xmgrace will consist
>> of a singlequote, followed by the word TITLE, followed by a space, a
>> doublequote, the word Average, another doublequote and a singlequote.
>>
>> You can see this if you try using the printf(1) command instead of
>> the echo command:
>> 16:17 $ printf '[%s]\n' \'TITLE\ \"Average\"\'
>> ['TITLE "Average"']
>> 16:17 $ # xmgrace sees the value between the square brackets
>>
>> May I suggest
>> xmgrace -pexec 'TITLE "Average"' -block NSLB3-3d5-11-V.dat -bxy 1:2
>>
>> The equivalent printf(1) looks like:
>> 16:17 $ printf '[%s]\n' 'TITLE "Average"'
>> [TITLE "Average"]
>> 16:18 $ # xmgrace sees the value between the square brackets
>
> Yes that worked I was sure I tried that before (as it is the same as the CLI
> version) and didn't work, but maybe it was slightly different
>
> Thanks,

Ummmmm ... just to be horrible ..... if you're using a scripting
language, how about Python3 ? All of the abovementioned issues
and a thousand others just melt away ...........

I have programs that write and execute small temporary Python
scripts for utility because some things are just easier in
Python and the libraries are EXTENSIVE.

Now yes, I have lots of bash scripts too ... but there comes
a complexity POINT where Python becomes much better and for
sure more clearly self-documenting. Bash is a MESS - they've
been figuring out how to add features to a crude language
for decades ... and frankly the syntax seems now almost
arbitrary, senseless, cultic. Best thing about bash is its
ubiquity - but these days Python is *everywhere* too.

Just sayin' ........

On 11/23/22 00:00, 26C.Z969 wrote:
>> Thanks,
>
>   Ummmmm ... just to be horrible ..... if you're using a scripting
>   language, how about Python3 ?

The topic is BASH - not your favorite language of choice.