sed: -e expression #3, char 59: unknown option to `s'

Question

I am writing a script to replace three lines for input in a C++ code.This is the snippet of the C++ code whose inputs I want to change:

char outputFileName_ForBlueEdge[50] = "BlueEdge_SetA_PeriodRange1.dat"; //File with model parameters on the blue edge
    char outputFileName_ForPositiveGrowthModels[50] = "PostiveGrowth_SetA_PeriodRange1.dat"; //File with model parameters that have positve growth rates
    char log_directory_prefix[30] = "LOGS_A/LOGS_A"; //Prefix to log_directory, suffix is model number. This is where LINA file should be

And here is a minimal reproducible version of the bash script:

dir=$PWD
cplusplus_plotter="$dir"/BlueEdge_Plotter_V7.cpp
#Set B
  sed -i 

    -e "s/^([[:blank:]]char outputFileName_ForBlueEdge[50])./\1 = "BlueEdge_SetB_PeriodRange1.dat"/i" 

    -e "s/^([[:blank:]]char outputFileName_ForPositiveGrowthModels[50])./\1 = "PostiveGrowth_SetB_PeriodRange1.dat"/i" 

    -e "s/^([[:blank:]]log_directory_prefix[30])./\1 = "LOGS_B/LOGS_B"/i" 

    "$cplusplus_plotter"

However, the C++ file never changes and I keep getting the error:

sed: -e expression #3, char 59: unknown option to `s'

You have a double quote conflict. Even the unix.stackexchange.com syntax highlighter make this clear here — Gilles Quénot, Jun 26 '20 at 22:33
Why are you using opening/closing double quotes ? If you're not on windows, use single quotes — Gilles Quénot, Jun 26 '20 at 22:35
Hi, I am using Ubuntu. I replaced the double quotes to singles such that BlueEdge_SetB_PeriodRange1.dat has just single quotes around it. I still get the error sed: -e expression #3, char 60: unknown option to `s' — thecep1, Jun 26 '20 at 22:46
Another issue is that you are using / as the sed pattern/replacement separator, but also have a / in the replacement text LOGS_B/LOGS_B. See for example How to replace a string with a string containing slash with sed? (this is likely why it is complaining about expression #3 specifically) — steeldriver, Jun 26 '20 at 22:51

Gilles Quénot · Accepted Answer · 2020-06-26T23:52:04.190

1

Like this:

  sed -i \
    -e 's/^\([[:blank:]]*char outputFileName_ForBlueEdge\[50\]\).*/\1 = "BlueEdge_SetB_PeriodRange1.dat"/i' \
    -e 's/^\([[:blank:]]*char outputFileName_ForPositiveGrowthModels\[50\]\).*/\1 = "PostiveGrowth_SetB_PeriodRange1.dat"/i' \
    -e 's!^\([[:blank:]]*log_directory_prefix\[30\]\).*!\1 = "LOGS_B/LOGS_B"!i' \
    "$cplusplus_plotter"

You can choose the delimiter you want (in ascii table).

I choose ! in last sed command, because you had 4 /.

edited Jun 26 '20 at 23:52

answered Jun 26 '20 at 22:50

Gilles Quénot

33,867

I ran my bash script just using this command only. It is not changing the three lines. – thecep1 Jun 26 '20 at 22:59
Wut ??? oO Have you tested this ? – Gilles Quénot Jun 26 '20 at 23:01
Yes, there are no errors, but the .cpp file remains the same. – thecep1 Jun 26 '20 at 23:03
1

I don't know the content of your file, I just help you to fix sed command... – Gilles Quénot Jun 26 '20 at 23:08

sed: -e expression #3, char 59: unknown option to `s'

1 Answers1