Date Format Does not work in Shell

Shell Programming and Scripting
1

I'm am able to format the date in the unix prompt using NOW=$(date +"%d%m%y"). However, when i put the same format into a shell script, it errors out with the followign.

sintax error on line 4: `NOW=$' unexpected.

#!/bin/ksh

EXP_LOC=/u02/oradata/exports
NOW=$(date +"%d%m%y")

echo $NOW
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
"test" 13 lines, 363 characters

2

That looks as if it's being executed by a non-standard shell rather than by ksh. You can use the old-fashioned form of command substitution:

NOW=`date +%Y%m%d`

... but you should figure out why it is not using ksh.

How are you calling the script?

3

Can you try a simpler command? Perhaps just setting with date like in my second assignment in my script. Maybe your system does not like part of the date options??

> cat date_scr
#!/bin/ksh

EXP_LOC=/u02/oradata/exports
NOW=$(date +"%d%m%y")
echo $NOW
NOW2=$(date)
echo $NOW2

> ksh date_scr
101008
Fri Oct 10 08:24:26 PDT 2008
>
4

i was calling the shell using the sh before the script. for instance sh file.sh.

I tried the other way you suggested and worked fine. thanks.

5

By calling it with sh, you are using a non-standard shell (are you on Solaris?) rather than ksh.

6

yes in on a solaris environment

7

if i don't use the sh infront of the script, it does not run

8

Then change the syntax to the following:

NOW=`date +"%d%m%y"`
9

Then either put it in a directory in your PATH or call it with an explicit path, e.g., ./myscript, and make sure it is executable.

Or call it with ksh instead of sh.