[NTLUG:Discuss] bash script - function { } doesn't see command line options..

[Douglas Scott]

On Friday 30 June 2006 5:37 pm, Richard Geoffrion wrote:
> Take this test script, for example:
>
> #!/bin/bash
> function one () {
>         echo I see one parameter and it is $1
> }
> function two () {
>         echo I see two parameters, $1 and $2
> }
> if  [ -z $2 ] ; then
>         one
> else
>         two
> fi
>
>
>
> Then call the script with either one or two parameters.  I see that the
> logic is working but the functions themselves are not getting the
> scripts $1 variables passed through to the functions.  My results were....
>
> $  ./func 1
> I see one paramater and it is
>
> $ ./func 2
> I see two parameters,  and
>
[munch]

> For the moment I've taken to passing command line variables to the
> function calls when I call them....as like here.
>
>
> #!/bin/bash
> function one () {
>         echo I see one parameter and it is $1
> }
> function two () {
>         echo I see two parameters, $1 and $2
> }
> if  [ -z $2 ] ; then
>         one $@
> else
>         two $@
> fi
>
>
> Is there a better way to accomplish what I'm trying to do?

If I remember correctly inside a function $1 means the first argument of the 
function, not the script.  So the last example is the only one that would 
work.

In a number of ways script functions tend to act as if they are mini scripts.

Doug