how to export VARs from a subshell to a parent shell?
- by webwesen
I have a Korn shell script
#!/bin/ksh
# set the right ENV
case $INPUT in
abc)
export BIN=${ABC_BIN}
;;
def)
export BIN=${DEF_BIN}
;;
*)
export BIN=${BASE_BIN}
;;
esac
# exit 0 <- bad idea for sourcing the file
now these VARs are export'ed only in a subshell, but I want them to be set in my parent shell as well, so when I am at the prompt those vars are still set correctly.
I know about
. .myscript.sh
but is there a way to do it without 'sourcing'?
as my users often forget to 'source'.
EDIT1: removing the "exit 0" part - this was just me typing without thinking first
EDIT2: to add more detail on why do i need this: my developers write code for (for simplicity sake) 2 apps : ABC & DEF. every app is run in production by separate users usrabc and usrdef, hence have setup their $BIN, $CFG, $ORA_HOME, whatever - specific to their apps.
so
ABC's $BIN = /opt/abc/bin # $ABC_BIN in the above script
DEF's $BIN = /opt/def/bin # $DEF_BIN
etc.
now, on the dev box developers can develop both ABC and DEF at the same time under their own user account 'justin_case', and I make them source the file (above) so that they can switch their ENV var settings back and forth. ($BIN should point to $ABC_BIN at one time and then I need to switch to $BIN=$DEF_BIN)
now, the script should also create new sandboxes for parallel development of the same app, etc. this makes me to do it interactively, asking for sandbox name, etc.
/home/justin_case/sandbox_abc_beta2
/home/justin_case/sandbox_abc_r1
/home/justin_case/sandbox_def_r1
the other option i have considered is writing aliases and add them to every users' profile
alias 'setup_env=. .myscript.sh'
and run it with
setup_env parameter1 ... parameterX
this makes more sense to me now
