Variable Substitution

No spaces should be used in the following expressions. The colon (:) is optional; if it’s included, var must be nonnull, as well as set.

Variable expression

Description

var= value ...

Set each variable var to a value.

${ var}

Use value of var; braces are optional if var is separated from the following text. They are required for array variables.

${ var:- value}

Use var if set; otherwise, use value.

${ var:= value}

Use var if set; otherwise, use value and assign value to var.

${ var:? value}

Use var if set; otherwise, print value and exit (if not interactive). If value isn’t supplied, print the phrase “parameter null or not set.”

${ var:+ value}

Use value if var is set; otherwise, use nothing.

${# var}

Use the length of var.

${#*}, ${#@}

Use the number of positional parameters.

${ var# pattern}

Use value of var after removing pattern from the left. Remove the shortest matching piece.

${ var## pattern}

Same as # pattern, but remove the longest matching piece.

${ var% pattern}

Use value of var after removing pattern from the right. Remove the shortest matching piece.

${ var%% pattern}

Same as % pattern, but remove the longest matching piece.

${! prefix*}, ${! prefix@}

List of variables whose names begin with prefix.

${ var: pos}, ${ var: pos: len}

Starting at position pos (0-based) in variable var, extract len characters, or rest of string if no len. pos and len may be arithmetic expressions.

${ var/ pat/ repl}

Use value of var, with first match of pat replaced with repl.

${ var/ pat}

Use value ...

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