10.4. Testing and Branching

The case and select constructs are technically not loops, since they do not iterate the execution of a code block. Like loops, however, they direct program flow according to conditions at the top or bottom of the block.

Controlling program flow in a code block

case (in) / esac

The case construct is the shell equivalent of switch in C/C++. It permits branching to one of a number of code blocks, depending on condition tests. It serves as a kind of shorthand for multiple if/then/else statements and is an appropriate tool for creating menus.

case "$variable" in

 "$condition1" )
 command...
 ;;

 "$condition2" )
 command...
 ;;

esac

Note

  • Quoting the variables is not mandatory, since word splitting does not take place.

  • Each test line ends with a right paren ).

  • Each condition block ends with a double semicolon ;;.

  • The entire case block terminates with an esac (case spelled backwards).

An exceptionally clever use of case involves testing for command-line parameters.
#! /bin/bash

case "$1" in
"") echo "Usage: ${0##*/} <filename>"; exit 65;;  # No command-line parameters,
                                                  # or first parameter empty.
# Note that ${0##*/} is ${var##pattern} param substitution. Net result is $0.

-*) FILENAME=./$1;;   # If filename passed as argument ($1) starts with a dash,
                      # replace it with ./$1
                      # so further commands don't interpret it as an option.

* ) FILENAME=$1;;     # Otherwise, $1.
esac

A case construct can filter strings for globbing patterns.

Example 10-27. Checking for alphabetic input

#!/bin/bash
# isalpha.sh: Using a "case" structure to filter a string.

SUCCESS=0
FAILURE=-1

isalpha ()  # Tests whether *first character* of input string is alphabetic.
{
if [ -z "$1" ]                # No argument passed?
then
  return $FAILURE
fi

case "$1" in
[a-zA-Z]*) return $SUCCESS;;  # Begins with a letter?
*        ) return $FAILURE;;
esac
}             # Compare this with "isalpha ()" function in C.


isalpha2 ()   # Tests whether *entire string* is alphabetic.
{
  [ $# -eq 1 ] || return $FAILURE

  case $1 in
  *[!a-zA-Z]*|"") return $FAILURE;;
               *) return $SUCCESS;;
  esac
}

isdigit ()    # Tests whether *entire string* is numerical.
{             # In other words, tests for integer variable.
  [ $# -eq 1 ] || return $FAILURE

  case $1 in
  *[!0-9]*|"") return $FAILURE;;
            *) return $SUCCESS;;
  esac
}



check_var ()  # Front-end to isalpha ().
{
if isalpha "$@"
then
  echo "\"$*\" begins with an alpha character."
  if isalpha2 "$@"
  then        # No point in testing if first char is non-alpha.
    echo "\"$*\" contains only alpha characters."
  else
    echo "\"$*\" contains at least one non-alpha character."
  fi  
else
  echo "\"$*\" begins with a non-alpha character."
              # Also "non-alpha" if no argument passed.
fi

echo

}

digit_check ()  # Front-end to isdigit ().
{
if isdigit "$@"
then
  echo "\"$*\" contains only digits [0 - 9]."
else
  echo "\"$*\" has at least one non-digit character."
fi

echo

}

a=23skidoo
b=H3llo
c=-What?
d=What?
e=`echo $b`   # Command substitution.
f=AbcDef
g=27234
h=27a34
i=27.34

check_var $a
check_var $b
check_var $c
check_var $d
check_var $e
check_var $f
check_var     # No argument passed, so what happens?
#
digit_check $g
digit_check $h
digit_check $i


exit 0        # Script improved by S.C.

# Exercise:
# --------
#  Write an 'isfloat ()' function that tests for floating point numbers.
#  Hint: The function duplicates 'isdigit ()',
#+ but adds a test for a mandatory decimal point.
select

The select construct, adopted from the Korn Shell, is yet another tool for building menus.

select variable [in list]
do
 command...
 break
done

This prompts the user to enter one of the choices presented in the variable list. Note that select uses the PS3 prompt (#? ) by default, but that this may be changed.

If in list is omitted, then select uses the list of command line arguments ($@) passed to the script or to the function in which the select construct is embedded.

Compare this to the behavior of a

for variable [in list]

construct with the in list omitted.

See also Example 35-3.