CODEWITHSUNDEEP
bash
Ian Carpenter
Ian Carpenter

Reputation: 8626

Is it possible to get output from a BASH script via the print command?

I am just getting started with BASH scripting and have run into a problem.

I am trying to output the value of a variable and whilst I can achieve this via the echo command. When I try to use the print command I see an error.

Here is the problem when trying to use the print command:

ian@ian-VirtualBox:~$ y=$HOME
ian@ian-VirtualBox:~$ print -- $y
**Warning: unknown mime-type for "/home/ian" -- using "application/octet-stream"
Error: no "print" mailcap rules found for type "application/octet-stream"**

.. and here is the output using echo

ian@ian-VirtualBox:~$ echo $HOME
/home/ian

Is the print command not supported? or is there an issue with my environment?

In case of need I am using Xubuntu 12.10

Update following responses\feedback:

What do I expect print to do?

Output the value of the variable as the echo command does.

Why am I expecting this behavior?

The examples I have been referring to use print as I have in my example above. I don't get any output just the error. So I wanted to know why this error is happening.

The examples that I have to hand are using the Korn Shell. I appreciate that I am using the BASH shell but in my naivety I thought it should work.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 2050

Answers (1)

kojiro
kojiro

Reputation: 77187

print is not a standard shell command. Are you thinking of printf?

It might serve you to get started by reading a shell scripting guide.

(The print command you have on your system looks like it's for printing a file, not displaying the expansion of a name.)

Upvotes: 4

Related Questions