bash error on eval containing blank space

Question

I need to triggeer a bash passing parameter with a format [ variable_name="value" ] like this:

./test.sh ip='164.130.21.98' hostname='whatever' pwd='/test' ftpcmd='CWD debug' user='stefano'

On test.sh script I want to assign to any variable the relevant value:

#!/bin/bash
eval `echo "$@"`
echo $ftpcmd

But I get a prova: command not found error.

I cannot understand what's wrong on my ftpcmd='CWD debug' parameter neither how I should write it instead.

If I try to replace eval with declare then the $ftpcmd is set only to CWD instead of CWD debug as I'm expecting.

don't reinvent the wheel. option parsing was done years ago. use `getopts` (bash built-in, short single-letter options only) or `/usr/bin/getopt` (from util-linux, supports both short and --long options) — cas, Oct 02 '15 at 10:39
see: http://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/62950/getopt-getopts-or-manual-parsing-what-to-use-when-i-want-to-support-both-shor — cas, Oct 02 '15 at 10:44
@cas you're right. As I wrote I've still many things to learn on bash scripting. — Stefano Radaelli, Oct 02 '15 at 10:57

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 02 '15 at 15:14

2

If you put the assignments before the script

ip='164.130.21.98' hostname='whatever' pwd='/test' ftpcmd='CWD debug' user='stefano' ./test.sh

the variables are available in the script's environment. The -k option treats all assignments, not just pre-command assignments, as environment modifications.

set -k
./test.sh ip='164.130.21.98' hostname='whatever' pwd='/test' ftpcmd='CWD debug' user='stefano'
set +k

In either case, eval is not required at all and can be removed.

answered Oct 02 '15 at 15:14

chepner

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In such case your suggestion is to have to to a parent shell that runs test.sh. Am I right? – Stefano Radaelli Oct 02 '15 at 15:50
For the first example (`x=1 y="abc" ./cmd.sh`), no, you are simply reordering the command. – michael Oct 03 '15 at 13:21

bash error on eval containing blank space

1 Answers1