Very Computer

#! /bin/sh

# do x
# ...

# do y
# ...

# load the binary and pass all arguments
/path/to/binary/my.binary $*

The wrapper is called like this:
/path/to/my.script --set-defaults=/some/path/my.conf -e'this text is
executed in the binary'

but what is actually getting executed (passed to the binary) is:
/path/to/my.script --set-defaults=/some/path/my.conf -ethis text is
executed in the binary

The shell is stripping the quotes from the argument before the script
can do any processing on it, such as doing a pattern match and
substitution to insert escape characters. Is there a way to disable
interpretation of arguments? I tried using the noglob option:
#! /bin/sh -f
but still had the same results. Any help would be greatly appreciated,
I've been trying to find a way to do this all day.
(The system is SunOS version 8)

Quote:> I am trying to write a Unix Shell script that will act as a wrapper
> for a binary. It needs to do x, y, then call the binary with the EXACT
> arguments that the script was executed with. The format of the
> arguments cannot be changed (i.e.- escaping characters) because this
> is hard-coded into many scripts, and it would be very time-consuming
> to edit every script and add any escaping. The program is as follows:

> #! /bin/sh

> # do x
> # ...

> # do y
> # ...

> # load the binary and pass all arguments
> /path/to/binary/my.binary $*

> The wrapper is called like this:
> /path/to/my.script --set-defaults=/some/path/my.conf -e'this text is
> executed in the binary'

> but what is actually getting executed (passed to the binary) is:
> /path/to/my.script --set-defaults=/some/path/my.conf -ethis text is
> executed in the binary

> The shell is stripping the quotes from the argument before the script
> can do any processing on it, such as doing a pattern match and
> substitution to insert escape characters. Is there a way to disable
> interpretation of arguments? I tried using the noglob option:
> #! /bin/sh -f
> but still had the same results. Any help would be greatly appreciated,
> I've been trying to find a way to do this all day.
> (The system is SunOS version 8)

Only the latter is correct.  "$*" will put all the original arguments into
a single parameter.

--

Genuity Managed Services, Woburn, MA
*** DON'T SEND TECHNICAL QUESTIONS DIRECTLY TO ME, post them to newsgroups.
Please DON'T copy followups to me -- I'll assume it wasn't posted to the group.

and
"/path/to/binary/my.binary $*"

but in both cases the same result, it stripped the single quotes:
-e'statement' becomes -estatement
It's doing this straight from the command line, before the script handles it.

Note that the binary will never actually see the quotes themselves.  What's
important is that the argument continues to be a single token.

--

Genuity Managed Services, Woburn, MA
*** DON'T SEND TECHNICAL QUESTIONS DIRECTLY TO ME, post them to newsgroups.
Please DON'T copy followups to me -- I'll assume it wasn't posted to the group.

Quote:> The wrapper is called like this:
> /path/to/my.script --set-defaults=/some/path/my.conf -e'this text is
> executed in the binary'

> but what is actually getting executed (passed to the binary) is:
> /path/to/my.script --set-defaults=/some/path/my.conf -ethis text is
> executed in the binary

Quote:

> The shell is stripping the quotes from the argument before the script
> can do any processing on it, ...

unset var

while [ $# -gt 0 ];do
   if [ -z "$var" ];then
       var="\"$1\""
   else
       var="$var \"$1\""
   fi
   shift
done

eval my.binary $var

HTKH

Tim

"$*" should pass all the original arguments as a single argument.

won't expand any of them into multiple arguments.

Demonstration:

script1:

#!/bin/sh
echo 'Sending $*'
./script2 $*
echo 'Sending "$*"'
./script2 "$*"

script2:
#!/bin/sh
echo "Number of arguments: $#"
while [ $# -gt 0 ]
do
  echo "|$1|"
  shift
done
echo ''

tools:~#145% ./script1 arg1 "arg2 arg3" arg4
Sending $*
Number of arguments: 4
|arg1|
|arg2|
|arg3|
|arg4|

Sending "$*"
Number of arguments: 1
|arg1 arg2 arg3 arg4|

Number of arguments: 3
|arg1|
|arg2 arg3|
|arg4|

--

Genuity Managed Services, Woburn, MA
*** DON'T SEND TECHNICAL QUESTIONS DIRECTLY TO ME, post them to newsgroups.
Please DON'T copy followups to me -- I'll assume it wasn't posted to the group.

    that is not as easy as it sounds. What happens when the wrapper is
called like this?

/path/to/my.script --set-defaults=/some/path/my.conf -e 'contains "
chars'

You'll end up with "extra" double-quotes and that would be a bad
thing. Same basic argument for using single-quotes. Barry's answer is
the right solution.

Kevin

Quote:> Tim,

>     that is not as easy as it sounds. What happens when the wrapper is
> called like this?

> /path/to/my.script --set-defaults=/some/path/my.conf -e 'contains "
> chars'

Although that could have been my second caveat.

Quote:

> You'll end up with "extra" double-quotes and that would be a bad
> thing.
> Same basic argument for using single-quotes.

Quote:> Barry's answer is the right solution.

I said 'Barry nailed it', didn't I?

Quote:

> Kevin

Tim