simplification of the variable in bash

April 29, 2022

instead of a long list of variables

my_1_web="some value1"
my_3_web="some value2"
my_2_web="some value3"
echo "web at $my_1_web
$my_2_web
$my_3_web"

is possible like this ?

my_1_web="some value1"
my_3_web="some value2"
my_2_web="some value3"
echo "web at $my_1-3_web"

1-3 like all variable from 1 to 3

>Solution :

It’d probably be easier to use an array instead of numbered variables:

my_web=(
    "some value1"
    "some value2"
    "some value3"
    )

Then to print them like you want:

IFS=$'\n' echo "web at ${my_web[*]:0:3}"

This temporarily sets the "internal field separator" to a newline so that when we join the array elements (my_web[*]), it joins them on the newline. I’m also explicitly selecting elements 1-3, but you don’t actually need to do that in this case since those are the only elements that exist.

Note that Bash arrays are 0-indexed.

_{Due credit to Glenn Jackman‘s now-deleted answer for inspiring this echo command.}