Dealing with user input in bash script can be a tricky task, but with a little bit of knowledge and practice, it becomes a breeze. In this article, we will take a look at some of the ways to handle user input in bash script, including examples to help you understand the concepts better.

First, let’s take a look at the basics of user input in bash script. In order to capture user input, we use the read command. The read command reads a line of text entered by the user and assigns it to a variable. For example, the following script captures the user’s name and assigns it to the variable “name”:

echo "Please enter your name:"
read name
echo "Hello, $name!"

When the script is run, the user will be prompted to enter their name, and the script will then say “Hello” followed by the user’s name.

Prompting the User for Input

When prompting the user for input, it’s important to be clear about what information you need. The best way to do this is to use the echo command to display a message that clearly states what information you need. For example, the following script prompts the user to enter their name and age:

echo "Please enter your name:"
read name
echo "Please enter your age:"
read age
echo "Your name is $name and you are $age years old."

In this example, the script first prompts the user to enter their name, then their age. The script then displays a message that includes both pieces of information.

Validating User Input

It’s important to validate user input to make sure that it’s in the correct format. For example, if you are asking the user to enter their age, you want to make sure that they enter a number. The following script uses the if statement to validate the user’s age:

echo "Please enter your age:"
read age
if [[ $age =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]]; then
  echo "Your age is $age."
else
  echo "Invalid input. Please enter a number."
fi

In this example, the script uses the if statement to check if the user’s age is a number. If it is, the script displays a message that includes the user’s age. If it’s not, the script displays a message telling the user that their input is invalid.

Handling Default Values

Sometimes, it’s useful to have a default value for a variable in case the user doesn’t enter any input. For example, the following script prompts the user to enter their name, but if they don’t, the script uses the default value “John Doe”:

echo "Please enter your name (default is John Doe):"
read name
name=${name:-John Doe}
echo "Your name is $name."

In this example, the script prompts the user to enter their name, but if they don’t, the script uses the default value “John Doe”. This is done by using the ${name:-John Doe} syntax, which assigns the default value “John Doe” to the variable “name” if it’s not set.

Handling Multiple Inputs

Sometimes, you need to capture multiple inputs from the user. For example, the following script prompts the user to enter their name and age, and then their address:

echo "Please enter your name:"
read name
echo "Please enter your age:"
read age
echo "Please enter your address:"
read address
echo "Your name is $name, you are $age years old, and your address is $address."

In this example, the script prompts the user to enter their name, age, and address, and then displays a message that includes all of this information.

Handling Input with a Specific Format

Sometimes, you need to make sure that the user enters input in a specific format. For example, the following script prompts the user to enter a date in the format “yyyy-mm-dd”:

echo "Please enter a date in the format yyyy-mm-dd:"
read date
if [[ $date =~ ^[0-9]{4}-[0-9]{2}-[0-9]{2}$ ]]; then
  echo "The date you entered is $date."
else
  echo "Invalid input. Please enter a date in the format yyyy-mm-dd."
fi

In this example, the script uses the if statement to check if the user’s input is in the correct format. If it is, the script displays a message that includes the user’s input. If it’s not, the script displays a message telling the user that their input is invalid.

Handling Input with a Limited Range

Sometimes, you need to make sure that the user enters input within a specific range. For example, the following script prompts the user to enter a number between 1 and 10:

echo "Please enter a number between 1 and 10:"
read number
if [[ $number -ge 1 && $number -le 10 ]]; then
  echo "The number you entered is $number."
else
  echo "Invalid input. Please enter a number between 1 and 10."
fi

In this example, the script uses the if statement to check if the user’s input is within the specified range. If it is, the script displays a message that includes the user’s input. If it’s not, the script displays a message telling the user that their input is invalid.

Handling Input with Multiple Options

Sometimes, you need to make sure that the user enters input with a specific list of options. For example, the following script prompts the user to enter their favorite color, with the options being “red”, “green”, or “blue”:

echo "Please enter your favorite color (options are red, green, or blue):"
read color
if [[ $color == "red" || $color == "green" || $color == "blue" ]]; then
  echo "Your favorite color is $color."
else
  echo "Invalid input. Please enter your favorite color (options are red, green, or blue)."
fi

In this example, the script uses the if statement to check if the user’s input is one of the specified options. If it is, the script displays a message that includes the user’s input. If it’s not, the script displays a message telling the user that their input is invalid.

Conclusion

In conclusion, dealing with user input in bash script can be a tricky task, but with a little bit of knowledge and practice, it becomes a breeze. We’ve looked at some of the ways to handle user input in bash script, including examples to help you understand the concepts better. By using the read command, validating user input, handling default values, handling multiple inputs, handling input with a specific format, handling input with a limited range, and handling input with multiple options