How to convert a variable to string format? KSH shell scripting

Question

I am trying to convert a variable to a string format so I can use java runsql utility to insert its value into a database later. The database needs the value to be in a char format, hence string.

This is a dumbed down version of my code so I can get to the heart of what I'm asking -

#!/bin/ksh -x
value1=2018-01-01
value2=2018-02-01

mystring=$value1,$value2
echo $mystring

stringify=${'value1'},${'value2'})
echo $stringify

What happens is I get no output for stringify or depending on how I switch up the arrangement of the symbols I get the literal string 'value1' or 'value2'.

What am I doing wrong? I feel like this is very simple, maybe I've just been staring at it too long, I dunno.

Why do you have the quotes in ${'value1'}? What are they intended to do? Showing your expected output explicitly (My desired output is X, my actual output is Y) would make this question considerably easier to understand. — Charles Duffy
– Charles Duffy, Commented May 30, 2018 at 19:40
...to be very, very clear -- every single variable you have here already is a string. mystring is a string. value1 and value2 contain strings. This code contains no non-string variables whatsoever -- so when you say "convert a variable to string format", it's not at all clear what you're asking for. — Charles Duffy
– Charles Duffy, Commented May 30, 2018 at 19:42
@WalterA OP's intended use for SQL suggests they want to quote the value. — Vasan
– Vasan, Commented May 30, 2018 at 19:46

Community · Accepted Answer · 2020-06-20 09:12:55Z

2

You can just escape quote like this:

mystring=\'$value1\',\'$value2\'

Output:

$ echo $mystring

'2018-01-01','2018-02-01'

A simpler option to get the same output (as suggested by @CharlesDuffy) is:

mystring="'$value1','$value2'"

edited Jun 20, 2020 at 9:12

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answered May 30, 2018 at 19:36

Vasan

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1 Comment

Charles Duffy Over a year ago

I'd suggest mystring="'$value1','$value2'" instead -- easier to read without all the backslashes.

ashish_k · Accepted Answer · 2018-05-31 03:47:59Z

2

You can just do like this, more simpler:

#!/bin/ksh -x
value1=2018-01-01
value2=2018-02-01

mystring=$value1,$value2
echo $mystring

stringify="'$value1','$value2'" #use double-quotes around the variables
echo $stringify

Output:

2018-01-01,2018-02-01
'2018-01-01','2018-02-01'

answered May 31, 2018 at 3:47

ashish_k

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