Create a file with "echo" or "cat" ?

[hpaille]

I have a script creating a file, but I am not sure of the best way to do it. Should it be
echo "...." > test
or
cat filename <<EOF
...
EOF

The file is a script itself containing quotes.

Thanks for your answers

 

[feherke]

Hi

It is not matter of "best way", but the "easiest way". But as you put the question like that, I would like to mention that [tt]echo[/tt] is a shell built-in function while [tt]cat[/tt] is an executable. That means that [tt]echo[/tt] should be faster, while [tt]cat[/tt] should be more portable between shells.

[blue]master #[/blue] type echo
echo is a shell builtin

[blue]master #[/blue] type cat
cat is /usr/bin/cat

Feherke.

http://rootshell.be/~feherke/

 

[SamBones]

For just creating an empty file, I use [tt]touch[/tt]. See the man page for usage.

touch filename

That also has the advantage of not clearing out a file if it already exists (if that's what you want).