simple sed problem

[redsevens]

I am using sed in a script to edit several hundred files. I want to basically do a search and replace, but the search uses wildcards. The replace is the same for each file.

For example, most files contain the line

Return_Address=[i]zero or more characters[/i]

and I want them all to be changed to:

Return_Address=customer_service@myhost.com

I initially tried the following script:

instring='Return_Address=*\n';
outstring='Return_Address=customer_service@myhost.com\n';
for i in `ls *.ini`
do
   cat $i | sed s/$instring/$outstring/g > new_inis/$i;
done

This causes no errors, but doesn't change the files. Does anybody know what I'm missing?

 

[vgersh99]

instring='Return_Address=';
address='customer_service@myhost.com\n';
for i in `ls *.ini`
do
cat $i | sed -e "s/${instring}/${instring}${address}/g" > new_inis/$i;
done

 

[CaKiwi]

Use .* instead of *\n in your search string and remove the \n from your replace string.

Hope this helps. CaKiwi

 

[redsevens]

That did the job! thanks for your advice.