Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!ames!ncar!boulder!spot!wu
From: wu@spot.Colorado.EDU (WU SHI-KUEI)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: sh(1) command substitution and here documents
Message-ID: <6774@sigi.Colorado.EDU>
Date: 22 Jun 88 15:06:19 GMT
References: <1254@cadre.dsl.PITTSBURGH.EDU>
Sender: news@sigi.Colorado.EDU
Reply-To: wu@spot.Colorado.EDU (WU SHI-KUEI)
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Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
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In article <1254@cadre.dsl.PITTSBURGH.EDU> jack@cadre.dsl.pittsburgh.edu.UUCP (Jack Nelson) writes:
> . . . an explanation of what he wants to do
>What I would like to do is incorporate this calculation result into a shell
>variable using the here document:
>	#!/bin/sh
>	var=`bc <	scale=2
>	3 / 4
>	End
>	`
> . . . error messages, why doen't it work etc.

You don't need or want the here document.  The following will do just fine:

	#!/bin/sh		# not needed with REAL UNIX
	var=`bc '
	scale = 2
	3 / 4
	quit'`

The 'quit' is essential since bc keeps reading the standard input after the command have been read.

Carl Brandauer
ihnp4!nbires!bdaemon!carl
303-442-1731