I can resolve this problem, but I don't understand, why happen this...

1st step: Query a number from a DB with sqlplus,

2nd step: Format some text for a mail,

3rd step: send a mail with these

psnr() { sqlplus -s USR/PASS@PROD << EOS SET PAGESIZE 0 SET COLSEP ";" SET FEEDBACK OFF SET TRIMOUT ON SET TRIMSPOOL ON select max_number-last_number from postalslip where state = 'OPEN' / exit / EOS }

PSNR=$(psnr)

echo "Today's result is: $PSNR" > $MAILTMP

od -c mailtmp.17872.txt 0000000 T o d a y ' s r e s u l t i 0000020 s : \t 1 2 3 4 5 0000040 6 7 \n 0000043

That damned tab '\t' what I don't understand where it comes from. from sqlplus? Possibly DB specificity? (I checked in TOAD, both coloumns are number(18) Maybe the funciton in ksh have some special features?

Thank you all answers in advance and sorry for my english.

I can resolve this problem, but I don't understand why it happens.

• 1st step: Query a number from a DB with sqlplus,
• 2nd step: Format some text for a mail,
• 3rd step: send a mail with these.

psnr() {
sqlplus -s USR/PASS@PROD << EOS
SET PAGESIZE 0
SET COLSEP ";"
SET FEEDBACK OFF
SET TRIMOUT ON
SET TRIMSPOOL ON
  select max_number-last_number from postalslip
  where state = 'OPEN'
/
exit
/
EOS
}

PSNR=$(psnr)

echo "Today's result is: $PSNR" > $MAILTMP

od -c mailtmp.17872.txt
0000000   T   o   d   a   y   '   s       r   e   s   u   l   t       i
0000020   s   :      \t                               1   2   3   4   5
0000040   6   7  \n
0000043

That tab '\t' is what I don't understand: where does it come from, from sqlplus? Possibly DB specificity? (I checked in TOAD, both coloumns are number(18). Maybe the function in ksh have some special features?