Re: Over-Elaborate Shell Scripting

On 3/23/24 00:38, Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:

When using a computer, laziness is a virtue. This is why we have command lines, to help automate the boring and repetitive tasks.

Yes.

This article <https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/09/command-line-wizardry-part-two-variables-and-loops-in-bash/> continues the author’s intro to basic command-line concepts. But it repeats a failing I see all too often in shell scripting: doing complex parsing of the output of some command, when the command itself offers an option to produce something closer to the exact output you need.

Keep in mind that some such authors have been working with a command for a very long time and that there is chances that the command has evolved since they started using it.
Once a process has been learned, it is slow to evolve until it no longer works properly.

Sure, it’s fun to write code. But it can be even more fun to _avoid_ writing code. RTFM helps.

I'm the epitome of lazy Unix admin.  I try to avoid doing things, especially repetitive things, if I can.  I'd much rather spend some time streamlining -> automating something if I know that I'm going to end up doing it many times.
But, sometimes it's also good to go through an exercise.  Especially if some of those exercises are to teach / refresh someone, possibly yourself, on a concept that they aren't as fresh on as they possibly want to be.
--
Grant. . . .