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function to see if variable is numeric

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crouse
 PostPosted: Mon May 16, 2005 8:36 pm   
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Joined: Sun May 15, 2005 9:36 pm
Posts: 644
Location: Des Moines, Iowa
Originally posted by jbsnake

Code:
### check to see if variable is numeric ###
#                                         #
#                                         #
#                                         #
### call like #############################
# if isNumeric $var                       #
# then                                    #
#    echo "numeric"                    #
# else                                    #
#    echo "non-numeric"                #
# fi                                      #
###########################################
function isNumeric()
{
Numeric='y'
len=`echo ${#1}`
for ((i=0; i<$len; i++))
do
   val=`echo ${1:$i:1}`
   echo $val | grep ^[0-9] > /dev/null
   retval=$?
   if [[ $retval -eq 1 ]]
   then
      if [[ $i -eq 0 && $val = '-' ]]
      then
         num="negative"
      else
         Numeric='n'
         break
      fi
   fi
done
if [[ $Numeric = 'y' ]]
then
   return 0
else
   return 1
fi
}
### end isNumeric ###
[/b]
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purpleduck
 PostPosted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 8:05 pm   

Joined: Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:56 pm
Posts: 5
A shorter version:

Code:
function isNumeric()
{
   non=${1//[0-9]/}
   return ${#non}
}
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jbsnake
 PostPosted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 10:55 pm   
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Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 7:31 pm
Posts: 251
Location: Georgia
out of curiosity... what shell are you using for that? i can't seem to make it work
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purpleduck
 PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 7:43 am   

Joined: Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:56 pm
Posts: 5
Code:
$ bash --version
GNU bash, version 3.1.17(1)-release (i586-suse-linux)
Copyright (C) 2005 Free Software Foundation, Inc.


I was surprised to notice I am using Bash 3. Last time I looked it was Bash 2. I have only recently learned about the substitution feature of Shell Parameter Expansion, so maybe it is new.
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jbsnake
 PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 12:29 pm   
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Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 7:31 pm
Posts: 251
Location: Georgia
Code:
<- jb@kung:/mnt/jb/jbsnake ->
<- 13:34:15 -> bash --version
GNU bash, version 3.1.17(1)-release (i686-pc-linux-gnu)
Copyright (C) 2005 Free Software Foundation, Inc.


though maybe not for everyone... almost seems like a suse feature
worth looking into i think :wink:
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purpleduck
 PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 1:48 pm   

Joined: Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:56 pm
Posts: 5
You are using the same version of Bash and it does not work!? That is just not right.

Here is a short test script:

Code:
$ cat isnum
#!/bin/bash

function isNumeric()
{
   non=${1//[0-9]/}
   return ${#non}
}


if isNumeric $1
then
  echo it is a number
fi
$ isnum 123
it is a number
$ isnum abc
$


The ${VAR//PATTERN/STRING} is substitution during parameter expansion. VAR is the variable name, // does substitution for each occurrence of PATTERN, and STRING is what is substituted. The PATTERN uses wildcards for filename expansion, not, unfortunately, regular expressions.

This is documented in the info page for Bash and http://tille.xalasys.com/training/bash/ ... t_10_03_03 at the bottom of the page.
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crouse
 PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 2:39 pm   
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Joined: Sun May 15, 2005 9:36 pm
Posts: 644
Location: Des Moines, Iowa
Code:
[~/scripts]
[15:41:41 crouse]$ vi isanum.sh
[~/scripts]
[15:42:07 crouse]$ ./isanum.sh 45g5
[~/scripts]
[15:42:10 crouse]$ ./isanum.sh 1234
it is a number
[~/scripts]


hmmmm worked for me.....
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purpleduck
 PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 9:20 pm   

Joined: Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:56 pm
Posts: 5
Oh good, I was worried!

According to O'Reilly's Learning the Bash Shell page 96, this feature was introduced in version 2.0
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