[NTLUG:Discuss] Shell script help

[Rusty Haddock]

. Daniel wrote:
    >The trouble is that I can't figure out a way to trim the filename off the 
    >end of full path list.  
    >
    >So my request to any and all shell script wizards is "how do I trim a 
    >filename off the end of a pathlist?"  e.g. make 
    >"/home/username/pictures/dsc00054.jpg" into "/home/username/pictures"

I don't use Bash much but this feature, I believe, originally came from
the Korn Shell, which I do use.  So once again, off the top of my pointy
little head, I present:

	a="/foo/bar/baz/quux"
	echo ${a%/[^/]*}

which produced this output:

	/foo/bar/baz

Anyone have a better way?   As Ross Perot once said, "I'm all ears!"  :-)

	-Rusty-
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