danabu@garnet.berkeley.edu (Daniel N. Abushanab) (04/09/91)
Hi,
I'm trying to write a script to emulate the DOS Norton Utilities "ncd"
command. It should scan a directory tree file, find a directory that
matches a pattern inputted by the user, then exit. The following shell
accomplishes that job. Unfortunately, when the shell is exited it
returns the user to the directory from which it was called. Does anyone
have any idea about how to fix this? Any help is appreciated, please
respond by e-mail and I will post solution here.
Shell script follows:
#This is a shell script to scan your directory structure and change
#to a directory matching a pattern you input. To use type "acd
#pattern". "acd ..." rebuilds the tree structure.
#This changes the directory, but upon exiting the shell the
#program returns to its starting directory. I want it to
#stay where it is upon exiting.
if (test $1) then
if (test $1 = "...") then
echo "creating tree file..."
/bin/ls -R $HOME | grep : | awk -F: '{print $1}' > $HOME/tree.abu
exit
fi
DIRECTORY=`grep "$HOME.*/$1" $HOME/tree.abu`
FIRST=`echo $DIRECTORY | awk '{print $1}'`
if (test $FIRST) then
echo "Changing to $FIRST"
cd $FIRST
else echo "Could not find $1."
fi
else echo "You must include a directory."
fi
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daniel N. Abushanab University of California, Berkeley
E-mail: danabu@scorpio.berkeley.edu Mechanical Engineering Department
phone: (415) 642-5109
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daniel N. Abushanab University of California, Berkeley
E-mail: danabu@garnet.berkeley.edu Mechanical Engineering Department
phone: (415) 642-5109 rgupta@leland.Stanford.EDU (Rajesh Gupta) (04/10/91)
In article <1991Apr9.164257.9128@agate.berkeley.edu> danabu@garnet.berkeley.edu (Daniel N. Abushanab) writes: > >Hi, >I'm trying to write a script to emulate the DOS Norton Utilities "ncd" >command. It should scan a directory tree file, find a directory that >matches a pattern inputted by the user, then exit. The following shell >accomplishes that job. Unfortunately, when the shell is exited it >returns the user to the directory from which it was called. Does anyone >have any idea about how to fix this? Any help is appreciated, please >respond by e-mail and I will post solution here. > ... How about: cd `find . -name <argument> -type d -print` This should do the job. Rajesh Gupta rgupta@sirius.stanford.edu
rouben@math13.math.umbc.edu (Rouben Rostamian) (04/10/91)
In article <1991Apr9.164257.9128@agate.berkeley.edu> danabu@garnet.berkeley.edu (Daniel N. Abushanab) writes: > >Hi, >I'm trying to write a script to emulate the DOS Norton Utilities "ncd" >command. It should scan a directory tree file, find a directory that >matches a pattern inputted by the user, then exit. The following shell >accomplishes that job. Unfortunately, when the shell is exited it >returns the user to the directory from which it was called. Does anyone >have any idea about how to fix this? Any help is appreciated, please >respond by e-mail and I will post solution here. > >[Shell script deleted]: > Try cd `find . -name 'pattern' -type d -print'` where "pattern" is a directory name, possibly incuding wildcards. -- Rouben Rostamian Telephone: (301) 455-2458 Department of Mathematics and Statistics e-mail: University of Maryland Baltimore County bitnet: rostamian@umbc.bitnet Baltimore, MD 21228, U.S.A. internet: rouben@math9.math.umbc.edu
rhartman@thestepchild.sgi.com (Robert Hartman) (04/10/91)
In article <1991Apr9.175008.12044@leland.Stanford.EDU> rgupta@leland.Stanford.EDU (Rajesh Gupta) writes: > >How about: > > cd `find . -name <argument> -type d -print` Ooooh! I like this! Just cooked a version for csh: alias jd 'set arg="\!:1"; cd `(find . -name "*${arg}*" -type d -print) \ | head -1`' # jump to a directory You have to use a variable to capture the alias argument, because the history (argument) substitution syntax collides with the trailing * in the argument to -name. I want to go to the first match, so the head command is necessary to avoid "Ambiguous" errors. I have "," aliased to pop me back to the previous directory if find guesses wrong. -r
hendrik@cca.vu.nl (Hendrik te Winkel) (04/10/91)
rgupta@leland.Stanford.EDU (Rajesh Gupta) writes: >In article <1991Apr9.164257.9128@agate.berkeley.edu> danabu@garnet.berkeley.edu (Daniel N. Abushanab) writes: >> >>Hi, >>I'm trying to write a script to emulate the DOS Norton Utilities "ncd" >>command. It should scan a directory tree file, find a directory that >>matches a pattern inputted by the user, then exit. The following shell >>accomplishes that job. Unfortunately, when the shell is exited it >>returns the user to the directory from which it was called. Does anyone >>have any idea about how to fix this? Any help is appreciated, please >>respond by e-mail and I will post solution here. >How about: > cd `find . -name <argument> -type d -print` >This should do the job. Not really, again when you put this into a file it will change your directory but after the filescript finishes you'll discover that you are again in the original directory. Of course you could alias it in csh. But now some real answer from a guru please! Is it really impossible to change your working dir with a shell script _and_ to remain there after it is finished? I don't know how to do it. Please inform. Hendrik -- handtekeningetje
eravin@panix.uucp (Ed Ravin) (04/10/91)
If you've got ksh to play with, check out the CDPATH variable. This will let you select a list of directories to search when you say "cd foo". For example: $ CDPATH=".:/usr/mom:/usr/dad:/home" and then $ cd foo Will search, in order, for ./foo, /usr/mom/foo, /usr/dad/foo, /home/foo and whichever one it finds first it will cd to (and echo the directory name it chose). ksh also gives you built in pattern substitution on the cd command. So if your current directory is /usr/mom/foo/bar/rastafarian/lefthanded/mugglethworp And you say: $ cd rastafarian unitarian ksh will attempt to cd to: /usr/mom/foo/bar/unitarian/lefthanded/mugglethworp With all those features, if you can switch to ksh (or are already using it), you might not want to even bother with "ncd" emulation. -- Ed Ravin | This random number tells the computer that you are cmcl2!panix!eravin | a member in good standing. It is not related to your philabs!trintex!elr | membership number. --- Sierra Club
ken@racerx.UUCP (Ken Hardy) (04/11/91)
>How about: > > cd `find . -name <argument> -type d -print` If 'find' finds more than one directory that matches the pattern, you're in trouble. How about: cd `find . -name <argument> -type d -print | head -1` or cd `find . -name <argument> -type d -print | tail -1` -- Ken Hardy uunet!racerx!ken ken@racerx.UUCP
asg@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Bruce Varney) (04/11/91)
In article <1991Apr10.140153.480@cca.vu.nl> hendrik@cca.vu.nl (Hendrik te Winkel) writes: }rgupta@leland.Stanford.EDU (Rajesh Gupta) writes: } }>> }>>Hi, }>>I'm trying to write a script to emulate the DOS Norton Utilities "ncd" }>>accomplishes that job. Unfortunately, when the shell is exited it }>>returns the user to the directory from which it was called. Does anyone }>How about: } }> cd `find . -name <argument> -type d -print` }>This should do the job. } }Not really, again when you put this into a file it will change your }directory but after the filescript finishes you'll discover }that you are again in the original directory. }Of course you could alias it in csh. }But now some real answer from a guru please! Is it really impossible }to change your working dir with a shell script _and_ to remain there }after it is finished? I don't know how to do it. Please inform. }Hendrik Why do you wnant to do it in a shell script????????? Try using the CDPATH (or cdpath for csh junkies) variable. --------- ### ## Courtesy of Bruce Varney ### # aka -> The Grand Master # asg@sage.cc.purdue.edu ### ##### # PUCC ### # ;-) # # ;'> # ##
asg@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Bruce Varney) (04/11/91)
In article <1991Apr10.154927.23360@panix.uucp> eravin@panix.uucp (Ed Ravin) writes: }If you've got ksh to play with, check out the CDPATH variable. This }will let you select a list of directories to search when you say "cd foo". EVERY DAMN SHELL HAS CDPATH!!! although for csh and tcsh the syntax is set cdpath (. /usr/mom /usr/dad /homw) } }$ CDPATH=".:/usr/mom:/usr/dad:/home" } }and then } }$ cd foo } }Will search, in order, for ./foo, /usr/mom/foo, /usr/dad/foo, /home/foo }and whichever one it finds first it will cd to (and echo the directory }name it chose). } Course there is also th cdable_vars variable in bash. When it is set you can do: cdable_vars=on src=$HOME/etc/src then when you do $ cd src it will look for src in your CDPATH. i.e. ./src, /usr/mom/src. /usr/dad/src and /home/src. If none of these exist, it will then cd to $src This is useful IMHO The Grand Master --------- ### ## Courtesy of Bruce Varney ### # aka -> The Grand Master # asg@sage.cc.purdue.edu ### ##### # PUCC ### # ;-) # # ;'> # ##
tchrist@convex.COM (Tom Christiansen) (04/11/91)
From the keyboard of hendrik@cca.vu.nl (Hendrik te Winkel): :Is it really impossible :to change your working dir with a shell script _and_ to remain there :after it is finished? I don't know how to do it. Please inform. This could be rephrased "Is it really impossible to change another process's environment without that process's cooperation?". This answer is generally, yes, this is really impossible. There are a few exceptions. If it's your own process, you may be able to change its nice value or send it a signal, but you're not going to be able to change its environment variables, its umask, or its working directory. Well, modulo a kernel dive: with kmem write privs, you could munge that process's u_cdir or u_cmask while it's not looking, but don't tell anyone I said that. :-) Much better solutions involve using shell aliases or functions, since they operate in the same process as the calling shell. A less good solution would be to use TIOCSTIs if you have them to jam the right command into your input buffer so that it's the next thing that your shell reads. --tom
rhartman@thestepchild.sgi.com (Robert Hartman) (04/11/91)
In article <1991Apr10.140153.480@cca.vu.nl> hendrik@cca.vu.nl (Hendrik te Winkel) writes: > >> cd `find . -name <argument> -type d -print` > >Not really, again when you put this into a file it will change your >directory but after the filescript finishes you'll discover >that you are again in the original directory. >Of course you could alias it in csh. >But now some real answer from a guru please! Is it really impossible >to change your working dir with a shell script _and_ to remain there >after it is finished? I don't know how to do it. Please inform. > >Hendrik I'm not a guru, but I already posted answers to this. I'll summarize one last time. If you want the current shell to execute a script, you have to tell it to specifically. If you simply invoke a script on the command line, that script runs in a child process--same as any other command. To get the current shell to execute commands from a file (other than the tty): 1. Use the "." command to tell the shell to execute commands from the file given as its argument. 2. Make the script into a shell function. 3. Define a shell function that uses the "." command to interpolate the text of an existing script: ncd() { . $HOME/bin/ncd } 4. Or, if you can do the job with a one-liner, just do it: ncd() { cd `find . -name "*${1}*" -type d -print` ; pwd } Try it! -r
rgupta@leland.Stanford.EDU (Rajesh Gupta) (04/11/91)
In article <1991Apr10.140153.480@cca.vu.nl> hendrik@cca.vu.nl (Hendrik te Winkel) writes: >rgupta@leland.Stanford.EDU (Rajesh Gupta) writes: > >>In article <1991Apr9.164257.9128@agate.berkeley.edu> danabu@garnet.berkeley.edu (Daniel N. Abushanab) writes: >>> >>>Hi, >>>I'm trying to write a script to emulate the DOS Norton Utilities "ncd" ... > > >>How about: > >> cd `find . -name <argument> -type d -print` >>This should do the job. > >Not really, again when you put this into a file it will change your >directory but after the filescript finishes you'll discover >that you are again in the original directory. >Of course you could alias it in csh. >But now some real answer from a guru please! Is it really impossible >to change your working dir with a shell script _and_ to remain there >after it is finished? I don't know how to do it. Please inform. no it is not possible. When running the shell as a child process, the parent environment can not be changed by the child with pre-meditation on part of the parent. Rajesh Gupta rgupta@sirius.stanford.edu
jik@athena.mit.edu (Jonathan I. Kamens) (04/11/91)
In article <1991Apr10.140153.480@cca.vu.nl>, hendrik@cca.vu.nl (Hendrik te Winkel) writes: |> But now some real answer from a guru please! Is it really impossible |> to change your working dir with a shell script _and_ to remain there |> after it is finished? I don't know how to do it. Please inform. It doesn't take "a guru" to answer this question, since it is answered in the monthly comp.unix.questions FAQ posting, in question number 14. People should read that article before posting to the comp.unix.* newsgroups. If the article has expired at your site, you can retrieve it using the instructions at the end of this posting. -- Jonathan Kamens USnail: MIT Project Athena 11 Ashford Terrace jik@Athena.MIT.EDU Allston, MA 02134 Office: 617-253-8085 Home: 617-782-0710 -- Subject: Frequently Asked Questions about Unix - with Answers [Monthly posting] Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions Available via anonymous ftp from pit-manager.mit.edu (18.72.1.58) in the file /pub/usenet/comp.unix.questions/Frequently_Asked_Questions_about_Unix_-_with_Answers_[Monthly_posting] Available from mail-server@pit-manager.mit.edu by sending a message containing send usenet/comp.unix.questions/Frequently_Asked_Questions_about_Unix_-_with_Answers_[Monthly_posting] Send a message containing "help" to get general information about the mail server.
tif@doorstop.austin.ibm.com (Paul Chamberlain) (04/11/91)
In article <560@racerx.UUCP> ken@racerx.UUCP (Ken Hardy) writes: >> cd `find . -name <argument> -type d -print` >If 'find' finds more than one directory that matches the pattern, >you're in trouble. If you do it this way, you'll either change directories and print the directory you went to, or get an error changing directories and display the list of directories found. The only time this is awkward is if one directory was found but the cd failed (i.e. mkdir x; chmod 0 x; fcd x). function fcd { typeset dirs dirs=`find . -name "*${1}*" -type d -print` cd $dirs echo $dirs | tr ' ' '\012' } Paul Chamberlain | I do NOT speak for IBM. IBM VNET: PAULCC AT AUSTIN 512/838-9748 | ...!cs.utexas.edu!ibmchs!auschs!doorstop.austin.ibm.com!tif