Chapter 17. Here Documents
A here document uses a special form of I/O redirection to feed a command list to an interactive program or command, such as ftp, telnet, or ex. A "limit string" delineates (frames) the command list. The special symbol << designates the limit string. This has the effect of redirecting the output of a file into the stdin of the program or command. It is similar to interactive-program < command-file, where command-file contains
1 command #1 2 command #2 3 ... |
The "here document" alternative looks like this:
1 #!/bin/bash 2 interactive-program <<LimitString 3 command #1 4 command #2 5 ... 6 LimitString |
Choose a limit string sufficiently unusual that it will not occur anywhere in the command list and confuse matters.
Note that here documents may sometimes be used to good effect with non-interactive utilities and commands.
Example 17-1. dummyfile: Creates a 2-line dummy file
1 #!/bin/bash 2 3 # Non-interactive use of 'vi' to edit a file. 4 # Emulates 'sed'. 5 6 E_BADARGS=65 7 8 if [ -z "$1" ] 9 then 10 echo "Usage: `basename $0` filename" 11 exit $E_BADARGS 12 fi 13 14 TARGETFILE=$1 15 16 # Insert 2 lines in file, then save. 17 #--------Begin here document-----------# 18 vi $TARGETFILE <<x23LimitStringx23 19 i 20 This is line 1 of the example file. 21 This is line 2 of the example file. 22 ^[ 23 ZZ 24 x23LimitStringx23 25 #----------End here document-----------# 26 27 # Note that ^[ above is a literal escape 28 #+ typed by Control-V <Esc>. 29 30 # Bram Moolenaar points out that this may not work with 'vim', 31 #+ because of possible problems with terminal interaction. 32 33 exit 0 |
The above script could just as effectively have been implemented with ex, rather than vi. Here documents containing a list of ex commands are common enough to form their own category, known as ex scripts.
Example 17-2. broadcast: Sends message to everyone logged in
1 #!/bin/bash 2 3 wall <<zzz23EndOfMessagezzz23 4 E-mail your noontime orders for pizza to the system administrator. 5 (Add an extra dollar for anchovy or mushroom topping.) 6 # Additional message text goes here. 7 # Note: Comment lines printed by 'wall'. 8 zzz23EndOfMessagezzz23 9 10 # Could have been done more efficiently by 11 # wall <message-file 12 # However, saving a message template in a script saves work. 13 14 exit 0 |
Example 17-3. Multi-line message using cat
1 #!/bin/bash 2 3 # 'echo' is fine for printing single line messages, 4 # but somewhat problematic for for message blocks. 5 # A 'cat' here document overcomes this limitation. 6 7 cat <<End-of-message 8 ------------------------------------- 9 This is line 1 of the message. 10 This is line 2 of the message. 11 This is line 3 of the message. 12 This is line 4 of the message. 13 This is the last line of the message. 14 ------------------------------------- 15 End-of-message 16 17 exit 0 18 19 20 #-------------------------------------------- 21 # Code below disabled, due to "exit 0" above. 22 23 # S.C. points out that the following also works. 24 echo "------------------------------------- 25 This is line 1 of the message. 26 This is line 2 of the message. 27 This is line 3 of the message. 28 This is line 4 of the message. 29 This is the last line of the message. 30 -------------------------------------" 31 # However, text may not include double quotes unless they are escaped. |
The - option to mark a here document limit string (<<-LimitString) suppresses tabs (but not spaces) in the output. This may be useful in making a script more readable.
Example 17-4. Multi-line message, with tabs suppressed
1 #!/bin/bash 2 # Same as previous example, but... 3 4 # The - option to a here document <<- 5 # suppresses tabs in the body of the document, but *not* spaces. 6 7 cat <<-ENDOFMESSAGE 8 This is line 1 of the message. 9 This is line 2 of the message. 10 This is line 3 of the message. 11 This is line 4 of the message. 12 This is the last line of the message. 13 ENDOFMESSAGE 14 # The output of the script will be flush left. 15 # Leading tab in each line will not show. 16 17 # Above 5 lines of "message" prefaced by a tab, not spaces. 18 # Spaces not affected by <<- . 19 20 21 exit 0 |
A here document supports parameter and command substitution. It is therefore possible to pass different parameters to the body of the here document, changing its output accordingly.
Example 17-5. Here document with parameter substitution
1 #!/bin/bash 2 # Another 'cat' here document, using parameter substitution. 3 4 # Try it with no command line parameters, ./scriptname 5 # Try it with one command line parameter, ./scriptname Mortimer 6 # Try it with one two-word quoted command line parameter, 7 # ./scriptname "Mortimer Jones" 8 9 CMDLINEPARAM=1 # Expect at least command line parameter. 10 11 if [ $# -ge $CMDLINEPARAM ] 12 then 13 NAME=$1 # If more than one command line param, 14 # then just take the first. 15 else 16 NAME="John Doe" # Default, if no command line parameter. 17 fi 18 19 RESPONDENT="the author of this fine script" 20 21 22 cat <<Endofmessage 23 24 Hello, there, $NAME. 25 Greetings to you, $NAME, from $RESPONDENT. 26 27 # This comment shows up in the output (why?). 28 29 Endofmessage 30 31 # Note that the blank lines show up in the output. 32 # So does the "comment". 33 34 exit 0 |
This is a useful script containing a here document with parameter substitution.
Example 17-6. Upload a file pair to "Sunsite" incoming directory
1 #!/bin/bash 2 # upload.sh 3 4 # Upload file pair (Filename.lsm, Filename.tar.gz) 5 # to incoming directory at Sunsite (ibiblio.org). 6 7 E_ARGERROR=65 8 9 if [ -z "$1" ] 10 then 11 echo "Usage: `basename $0` filename" 12 exit $E_ARGERROR 13 fi 14 15 16 Filename=`basename $1` # Strips pathname out of file name. 17 18 Server="ibiblio.org" 19 Directory="/incoming/Linux" 20 # These need not be hard-coded into script, 21 # but may instead be changed to command line argument. 22 23 Password="your.e-mail.address" # Change above to suit. 24 25 ftp -n $Server <<End-Of-Session 26 # -n option disables auto-logon 27 28 user anonymous "$Password" 29 binary 30 bell # Ring 'bell' after each file transfer 31 cd $Directory 32 put "$Filename.lsm" 33 put "$Filename.tar.gz" 34 bye 35 End-Of-Session 36 37 exit 0 |
Quoting or escaping the "limit string" at the head of a here document disables parameter substitution within its body.
Example 17-7. Parameter substitution turned off
1 #!/bin/bash 2 # A 'cat' here document, but with parameter substitution disabled. 3 4 NAME="John Doe" 5 RESPONDENT="the author of this fine script" 6 7 cat <<'Endofmessage' 8 9 Hello, there, $NAME. 10 Greetings to you, $NAME, from $RESPONDENT. 11 12 Endofmessage 13 14 # No parameter substitution when the "limit string" is quoted or escaped. 15 # Either of the following at the head of the here document would have the same effect. 16 # cat <<"Endofmessage" 17 # cat <<\Endofmessage 18 19 exit 0 |
Disabling parameter substitution permits outputting literal text. Generating scripts or even program code is one use for this.
Example 17-8. A script that generates another script
1 #!/bin/bash 2 # generate-script.sh 3 # Based on an idea by Albert Reiner. 4 5 OUTFILE=generated.sh # Name of the file to generate. 6 7 8 # ----------------------------------------------------------- 9 # 'Here document containing the body of the generated script. 10 ( 11 cat <<'EOF' 12 #!/bin/bash 13 14 echo "This is a generated shell script." 15 # Note that since we are inside a subshell, 16 #+ we can't access variables in the "outside" script. 17 # Just to prove it . . . 18 echo "Generated file will be named: $OUTFILE" # Won't work. 19 20 a=7 21 b=3 22 23 let "c = $a * $b" 24 echo "c = $c" 25 26 exit 0 27 EOF 28 ) > $OUTFILE 29 # ----------------------------------------------------------- 30 31 # Quoting the 'limit string' prevents variable expansion 32 #+ within the body of the above 'here document.' 33 # This permits outputting literal strings in the output file. 34 35 if [ -f "$OUTFILE" ] 36 then 37 chmod 755 $OUTFILE 38 # Make the generated file executable. 39 else 40 echo "Problem in creating file: \"$OUTFILE\"" 41 fi 42 43 # This method can also be used for generating 44 #+ C programs, Perl programs, Python programs, Makefiles, 45 #+ and the like. 46 47 exit 0 |
A here document can supply input to a function in the same script.
Example 17-9. Here documents and functions
1 #!/bin/bash
2 # here-function.sh
3
4 GetPersonalData ()
5 {
6 read firstname
7 read lastname
8 read address
9 read city
10 read state
11 read zipcode
12 } # This certainly looks like an interactive function, but...
13
14
15 # Supply input to the above function.
16 GetPersonalData <<RECORD001
17 Bozo
18 Bozeman
19 2726 Nondescript Dr.
20 Baltimore
21 MD
22 21226
23 RECORD001
24
25
26 echo
27 echo "$firstname $lastname"
28 echo "$address"
29 echo "$city, $state $zipcode"
30 echo
31
32 exit 0 |
It is possible to use : as a dummy command accepting output from a here document. This, in effect, creates an "anonymous" here document.
Example 17-10. "Anonymous" Here Document
1 #!/bin/bash
2
3 : <<TESTVARIABLES
4 ${HOSTNAME?}${USER?}${MAIL?} # Print error message if one of the variables not set.
5 TESTVARIABLES
6
7 exit 0 |
 | A variation of the above technique permits "commenting out" blocks of code. |
Example 17-11. Commenting out a block of code
1 #!/bin/bash 2 # commentblock.sh 3 4 : << COMMENTBLOCK 5 echo "This line will not echo." 6 This is a comment line missing the "#" prefix. 7 This is another comment line missing the "#" prefix. 8 9 &*@!!++= 10 The above line will cause no error message, 11 because the Bash interpreter will ignore it. 12 COMMENTBLOCK 13 14 echo "Exit value of above \"COMMENTBLOCK\" is $?." # 0 15 # No error shown. 16 17 18 # The above technique also comes in useful for commenting out 19 #+ a block of working code for debugging purposes. 20 # This saves having to put a "#" at the beginning of each line, 21 #+ then having to go back and delete each "#" later. 22 23 : << DEBUGXXX 24 for file in * 25 do 26 cat "$file" 27 done 28 DEBUGXXX 29 30 exit 0 |
| Yet another twist of this nifty trick makes "self-documenting" scripts possible. |
Example 17-12. A self-documenting script
1 #!/bin/bash 2 # self-document.sh: self-documenting script 3 # Modification of "colm.sh". 4 5 DOC_REQUEST=70 6 7 if [ "$1" = "-h" -o "$1" = "--help" ] # Request help. 8 then 9 echo; echo "Usage: $0 [directory-name]"; echo 10 sed --silent -e '/DOCUMENTATIONXX$/,/^DOCUMENTATION/p' "$0" | 11 sed -e '/DOCUMENTATIONXX/d'; exit $DOC_REQUEST; fi 12 13 : << DOCUMENTATIONXX 14 List the statistics of a specified directory in tabular format. 15 --------------------------------------------------------------- 16 The command line parameter gives the directory to be listed. 17 If no directory specified or directory specified cannot be read, 18 then list the current working directory. 19 20 DOCUMENTATIONXX 21 22 if [ -z "$1" -o ! -r "$1" ] 23 then 24 directory=. 25 else 26 directory="$1" 27 fi 28 29 echo "Listing of "$directory":"; echo 30 (printf "PERMISSIONS LINKS OWNER GROUP SIZE MONTH DAY HH:MM PROG-NAME\n" \ 31 ; ls -l "$directory" | sed 1d) | column -t 32 33 exit 0 |
 | Here documents create temporary files, but these files are deleted after opening and are not accessible to any other process.
|
 | Some utilities will not work inside a here document. |
 | The closing limit string, on the final line of a here document, must start in the first character position. There can be no leading whitespace.
|
For those tasks too complex for a "here document", consider using the expect scripting language, which is specifically tailored for feeding input into interactive programs.