Breaking out of loop

Shell Programming and Scripting
1

I have a main script with while loop having for loop inside. Again in for loop based on if condition few functions will be called. So when a function is called for certain condition it should come out from the main for loop and should continue with while loop.
Let me explain with example here:
I am having a ksh as below

###Functions#####
execute_sqlldr()
{
sqlldr user/pass control=$ctl log=$log data=$file discard=$dis
RC=$?
  if [$RC -eq 0] then 
      echo "loaded successfully"
  elif [$RC -eq 1 -o $RC -eq 3]; then
      echo "sqlldr problem"
  elif [$RC -eq 2]; then
      ??
  fi
return 0
}
 
execute_sp()
{
-----
}
 
###Main Program####
while [1]
do
  for file in `ls /home/usr/*.txt`
  do
      if grep 'Oracle Available'; then
          execute_sqlldr $file
      else 
          echo "database is not available"
      fi
 
      execute_sp $file
     done
done

Here in the main program when execute_sqlldr $file is called and when $RC -eq 2 then my program instead of coming back to for loop in main program and calling the next function execute_sp $file it should come wholly out of for loop and should start from while loop. So with what should i replace ?? with in the function execute_sqlldr().
I hope i am clear here. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks :slight_smile:

2

Return some unique no from execute_sqlldr (when $RC -eq 2), say return 2

execute_sqlldr()
{
sqlldr user/pass control=$ctl log=$log data=$file discard=$dis
RC=$?
  if [$RC -eq 0] then 
      echo "loaded successfully"
  elif [$RC -eq 1 -o $RC -eq 3]; then
      echo "sqlldr problem"
  elif [$RC -eq 2]; then
      return 2
  fi
return 0
}

Then

while [1]
do
  for file in `ls /home/usr/*.txt`
  do
      if grep 'Oracle Available'; then
          execute_sqlldr $file
          if [ $? -eq 2 ]; then
             break 1
          fi
      else 
          echo "database is not available"
      fi
 
      execute_sp $file
     done
done

In break n, n specifies the nth enclosing loop to exit from.

3

dont we have something like break or continue which we can use instead of returnning a value?

4

You should space around the brackets:

[ $RC -eq 0 ]

[ $RC -eq 1 -o $RC -eq 3 ]

etcetera..
Like Anurag says, you cannot break out of the for loop from within the function. You can only pass a return code or value which you can test in the main loop and the you can use break. break 1 is the default, so break and break 1 are the same.

5

Not 'should', 'must'!

Use of -o is deprecated. Use:

[ $RC -eq 1 ] || [ $RC -eq 3 ]

You can in bash and ksh93.

1 Like
6

I was trying to be polite :wink:
[..]

I stand corrected. Also in dash it breaks the calling loop... Thanks:b:

---------- Post updated at 11:29 ---------- Previous update was at 09:55 ----------

So to sum up, you could use break inside a function which would break out of a calling loop. I would not use that however as I think it is confusing. I would generate a return code and check for that in the calling part.

7

Thank you friends it worked