how I search > into bash script

Question

I am writing some script to make a directory, but I want firstly sure that the name that the user insert is correct. for this issue I wrote something like below (FILE.txt is the file which the user name saved in)

if grep -q  '>' FILE.txt
  then
  echo "You should avoid inserting ">" in your code!"
  fi

But it seems that the bash thought that I want to insert to output and so it give this error: -sh: syntax error near unexpected token `newline' Do anybody have some idea? tnx for help

I've always liked referring folks to [this answer](http://stackoverflow.com/a/9712555/1072112) when there's a problem with quoting. :-) — ghoti, Oct 21 '15 at 22:37

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 21 '15 at 22:23

5

The problem isn't with your grep line, it's with your echo line. Your shell sees it as:

echo "You should avoid inserting "  >  " in your code!"

You can fix this simply by removing the quotes in the middle of the sentence, or using single quotes like:

echo "You should avoid inserting '>' in your code!"

answered Oct 21 '15 at 22:23

seumasmac

2,174
16
7

I think that OP wants to save `""` around `>` like this: `echo You should avoid inserting '">"' in your code!` – Arkadiusz Drabczyk Oct 21 '15 at 22:29

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 21 '15 at 22:32

1

You have to escape the quote in your echo statement:

if grep -q '>' file.txt; then
    echo "You should avoid inserting \">\" in your code!"
else
    echo "code is good"
fi

answered Oct 21 '15 at 22:32

John M.

602
7
6

how I search > into bash script

2 Answers2