Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Denver Mods 7/26/84) 6/24/83; site drutx.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!drutx!gfs From: gfs@drutx.UUCP (SkinnerGF) Newsgroups: net.unix Subject: why doesn't this shell program work Message-ID: <2147@drutx.UUCP> Date: Fri, 1-Mar-85 15:16:40 EST Article-I.D.: drutx.2147 Posted: Fri Mar 1 15:16:40 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 2-Mar-85 04:48:06 EST Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Denver Lines: 22 .......... Here is a very simple program to print out your directories variable=none echo "directories" for filename in `ls` do if test -d $filename then variable=some echo $filename fi done | pr -t4 echo $variable HOWEVER, variable will always be none wheather or not anything was found! further debugging shows that variable = some before exiting the pipe but, variable = none after exiting the pipe. Why does the pipe do this? Thanks in advance ..... gary skinner drutx!gfs