Copying files using $filename

Shell Programming and Scripting
1

Hi,
I've a problem. Here is the code:

#!/bin/ksh
echo "enter a file name"
read a
cd /home/linux1/sam
if [ -e $a ]
then
echo "file exists"
cp $a $a_bkp
else
echo "file doesn't exist"
fi

when executed the o/p is:

enter a file name
contact
file exists
cp: missing destination file
Try `cp --help' for more information.

The copy command using $a is not working. Could anybody please guide in this regard?

2

make your code look like the following and it will work for you. You need to put "" around the the second "$a"_bkp. You might also want to do a cp -p to preserve ownership, permissions, etc.

#!/bin/ksh

dir=/home/linux1/sam

echo "enter a file name"
read a
cd $dir
if [ -e $a ]
then
echo "file exists"
cp -p $a $dir/"$a"_bkp
else
echo "file doesn't exist"
fi
1 Like
3

to make it more clear

cp $a $a_bkp

You dont have the $a_bkp variable -- do proper quoting according to your shell so that you get the $a value, and concatenate it with _bkp.

4

Thanks linuxn00b. Itz working. And thanks to thegeek for the suggestion

5

To customize ..

$ read a; [ -e "$a" ] && echo "File exists" && cp $a ${a}_bkp || echo "File not exists"