CODEWITHSUNDEEP
unix
Learner
Learner

Reputation: 21425

How to call the function

I am trying to invoke a function from command prompt, but I am not finding the correct way to invoke it.

This is my script:

echo "Hello World!" 

test {

    echo "Sample message"
}

I tried below ways:

sh-4.2$ main.sh test                                                                                                                                                     
Hello World!                                                                                                                                                             
./main.sh: line 5: usuage: command not found                                                                                                                             
A helpful message!                                                                                                                                                       
./main.sh: line 8: syntax error near unexpected token `}'                                                                                                                
./main.sh: line 8: `}'                                                                          

sh-4.2$ . main.sh test                                                                                                                                                   
Hello World!                                                                                                                                                             
sh: usuage: command not found                                                                                                                                            
A helpful message!                                                                                                                                                       
sh: ./main.sh: line 8: syntax error near unexpected token `}'                                                                                                            
sh: ./main.sh: line 8: `}'                                                                          

sh-4.2$ . main.sh test()                                                                                                                                                 
sh: syntax error near unexpected token `('

Can you please help me in this.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 42

Answers (1)

Inian
Inian

Reputation: 85800

Couple of issues here, the syntax for test function is wrong, you need have the parentheses around,

test() {
    echo "Sample message"
}

export -f test

The export -f syntax allows you to export your functions to the shell; to run them from the command-line you need to source the script in the current shell as,

$ . ./main.sh
Hello World!

Now you can call the function test directly from the command line after having exported it from the script,

$ test
Sample message

Also a good practice to NOT have functions name test, because it is same name a shell built-in. Recommend using some custom names for that.

Upvotes: 2

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