3

I have this code that does work:

get_parameter ()
{
   echo "$query" | sed -n 's/^.*name=\([^&]*\).*$/\1/p' | sed "s/%20/ /g"
}

But I want to replace the "name" with the parameter that I pass to get_parameter

get_parameter ()
{
   echo "$query" | sed -n 's/^.*$1=\([^&]*\).*$/\1/p' | sed "s/%20/ /g"
}
NAME=$( get_parameter name )

This however, doesn't work. Where am I wrong?

michelemarcon
  • 3,443

4 Answers4

5

As l0b0 pointed, you can't use single quotes here. Apart from that, in your example you don't have to use sed either. It looks far cleaner with grep:

get_parameter ()
{
   echo "$query" | grep -o "${1}=[^&]*" | sed "s/%20/ /g"
}

Without echo:

get_parameter ()
{
   <<< "$query" grep -o "${1}=[^&]*" | sed "s/%20/ /g"
}

And finally, without the second sed (just bash):

get_parameter ()
{
   <<< "${query//%20/ }" grep -o "${1}=[^&]*"
}
Community
  • 1
rozcietrzewiacz
  • 39,269
4

Quoting: In short, variables are not replaced with their values inside 'single-quoted' strings (aka. "variable substitution"). You need to use any one of "double quotes", $'dollar quotes', or

<<EOF
here strings
EOF
l0b0
  • 51,350
0

change:

echo "$query" | sed -n 's/^.*$1=\([^&]*\).*$/\1/p' | sed "s/%20/ /g"

to:

echo "$query" | sed -n 's/^.*'"$1"'=\([^&]*\).*$/\1/p' | sed "s/%20/ /g"
Michał Šrajer
  • 2,858
0

You can concating it with rest command by replace name with '$1' like the following:

sed -n 's/^.*'$1'=\([^&]*\).*$/\1/p' | sed "s/%20/ /g"
Abdelazeem Kuratem
  • 109
  • Note that you are leaving $1 unquoted in the shell. – Kusalananda Dec 25 '21 at 21:04
  • @they

    I know and that is the right way to write it!! Also, I am already using it with the same syntax, so you might misunderstand it!!

     – Abdelazeem Kuratem Dec 25 '21 at 21:17
  • To quote the expansion of $1 in your command, use sed -n 's/^.*'"$1"'=\([^&]*\).*$/\1/p' | sed "s/%20/ /g". Test your command with $1 set to the string 1 2 3. Then also test with * and / and add a caveat to you answer about how $1 would be interpreted as a regular expression, and that it can't contain the delimiter used with the substitution command, and what to do instead. – Kusalananda Dec 25 '21 at 21:37