Script throwing error "=: not found"

Question

Consider:

#!/bin/ksh

db2 connect to MKTETLPS user ....... using ........

db2 "select count(*)  from etl.IDM_COLLAPSE_ORG_DEE c where c.IDM_PROCESS_STEP = 'I' and priority in ( '1','2','3','4','5') and c.update_ts < (current timestamp - 60 minutes) with ur"  > l.txt

$a = /is115/idm/dsproj/scripts/l.txt

        if [ $a -gt 0 ];
      then
        db2  "update etl.idm_collapse_org_dee
             set idm_process_step = NULL where priority in (
'1','2','3','4','5')
             and idm_process_step ='I'"
      else
          echo "All is well"
fi

I am running above the script and am receiving the below error. How can I fix it?

./CORCleanup1.sh[8]: =:  not found.
./CORCleanup1.sh[10]: test: 0403-004 Specify a parameter with this command.
All is well
DB20000I  The SQL command completed successfully.
DB20000I  The TERMINATE command completed successfully.

db2 connect reset


db2 terminate
exit

score 11 · Answer 1 · edited Sep 01 '18 at 11:22

Variable assignments must not include $ and spaces around the =. I also would double quote the assignment. So the variable assignment should look like as follows.

a="/is115/idm/dsproj/scripts/l.txt"

From further reading the script, it looks like you rather want to store the content of the file 1.txt in $a rather than the file path itself. For that purpose you could use the assignment as follows.

read -r a < /is115/idm/dsproj/scripts/l.txt

(read -r reads the first line of the file, strips the leading and trailing spaces and tabs (assuming the default value of $IFS) and stores it in the supplied variable)

You also may want to double quote the $a variable in the if statement.

if [ "$a" -gt 0 ];

You can also use https://www.shellcheck.net/ to check the syntax of your script.

Or if the file was meant as a temporary, a=$( db2 "select count(*) from tbl where cond and cond etc" ) -- though slightly less basic, command substitution is a very useful tool to learn — dave_thompson_085, Sep 02 '18 at 01:23

glenn jackman · Answer 2 · 2018-09-01T14:27:03.447

Here's why you're seeing that error:

$a = /is115/idm/dsproj/scripts/l.txt

At this point in the code, the variable a is unset. ksh will substitute the variable with the empty string, resulting in:

 = /is115/idm/dsproj/scripts/l.txt

Then ksh attempts to execute the line, tries to locate the command =, fails to find it, and produces the 1st error you see.

As @Thomas points out, the syntax for variable assignment is

varname=value

with no $ on the left-hand side, and no spaces around =. https://www.shellcheck.net/ will point out these errors.

Then you have

    if [ $a -gt 0 ];

Since a has no value, ksh performs the substitution and tries to do

    if [  -gt 0 ];

The [ command (yes, it is a command, aliased to the test command) does not understand the ‑gt operator without a left-hand operand, and you get the 2nd error message.

The [ command exits with non-zero status, the if statement then executes the else block, and you get the "all is well" message.

This is why it's important to quote all variables within single brackets [ ... ]

    if [ "$a" -gt 0 ];

More generally, always quote variables unless you understand specifically when to omit the quotes. See also Security implications of forgetting to quote a variable in bash/POSIX shells

Script throwing error "=: not found"

2 Answers2