bash regular expressions

[Sean McMahon]

I also find it's best to execute the commands by themselves before including
them in some massive script.  Helps the diagnosis.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lorenzo Taylor" <lorenzo at taylor.homelinux.net>
To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: Monday, April 04, 2005 4:03 PM
Subject: Re: bash regular expressions


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> Ned's comments on bash regular expressions were as follows:
> # I wrote a bash script and all but the two commands below were marked wrong,
so I need to correct them. Hope you don't mind pointing out my mistakes:
>
> Well, I'll see what I can do.  Here goes nothing! <smile>
>
> # 1. needs to output how many lines are there with a . (period) in them. I
used the escape char \ before the period, but it apparently didn't work.
> #
> # echo Output the number of lines that have a \"\.\" \(period\):
> # grep -c \. ./test.file
>
> Try:
>
> echo Output the number of lines that have a \".\" \(period\):
> grep -c [.] ./test.file
>
> I can't explain it, but somehow it only works that way.  Escaping the period
> doesn't help.  It must be specified in a range by itself.
>
> # 2. this one needs to output the number of lines containing the string '/*':
> #
> # echo Output the number of lines that have the string \"'/'\*\":
> # grep -c /\* ./test.file
>
> Try this instead:
>
> echo Output the number of lines that have the string '"/*"':
> grep -c [/][*] ./test.file
>
> Again, each character seems as though it must be enclosed in range brackets by
> itself.  Not exactly sure why without further digging in manpages for grep(1)
and
> regex(3), which is something I may do in the future if the mood hits me, but
as
> long as this works, I just don't feel like it right now. <smile>
>
> HTH,
> Lorenzo
> - -- 
> "We decided that we should evaluate the Microsoft offerings first. Once we
> realised what a powerful set of tools they were, it became self-evident this
was
> the right way to go down."
>
> Microsoft: the right way to go down
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