simple shell script.. plz help!!!

[JANET1979]

i need a simple shell script for unix, however im completely useless at shell scripting and cant get past the #!/bin/sh bit 8(....

what i desperately need to do is move files from my current directory into subdirectories depending on the first letter of its name, (eg.Accounts/A54mJU would be put into a subdirectory called A).

Subdirectories should only be created if there's files to be put into them (ie. no empty subdirectories)

and last of all a file called catalogue.txt should be created in my current directory listing all of the files which have been relocated, grouped by letter....

if any answers or help can be given i would be forever grateful...

thanks... Janet

 

[bigoldbulldog]

Here's a quick and dirty script to start with. It puts files in the directory without regard to case. You can set it up to make a directory for lower case/upper and even starting number/symbol if you like. e.g. for a directory for each case and all numbers change [A-Z] to [a-zA-Z0-9] and remove the pipe to the tr command. Good luck.

#! /bin/sh
for file in *
do
if [ -f $file ]; then
THE_DIR=`echo $file | cut -c1 | tr -s "[:lower:]" "[:upper:]"`
case $THE_DIR in
[A-Z])
if [ -f "$THE_DIR" ]; then
echo "The directory ($THE_DIR) exists as a file!" 1>&2
continue
elif [ ! -d "$THE_DIR" ]; then
mkdir "$THE_DIR"
fi
;;
*) echo "Unable to deal with file: $file"
;;
esac
mv $file "$THE_DIR"
fi
done Cheers,
ND

bigoldbulldog@hotmail.com

 

[gregor weertman]

#!/bin/sh

ls|while read xx
do
if [ -f $xx ] ;then
dir=$(echo $xx|awk '{print substr( $1, 1, 1)}')
if [ ! -d $dir ] ;then
mkdir $dir
fi
mv $xx $dir
fi
done

I did not test it.
I hope it works.

regards gregor.
Gregor.Weertman@mailcity.com

 

[JANET1979]

hi,

first of all thanks gregor for your help.

however i was wondering could you explain what the following lines actually do. After hours trying to figure out exactly what it means, ive ended up with a rough idea.

If you could help it would really stop me from going completely mad (lol). thx again.

ls|while read xx
do
if [ -f $xx ] ;then
dir=$(echo $xx|awk '{print substr( $1, 1, 1)}')
if [ ! -d $dir ] ;then
mkdir $dir

 

[gregor weertman]

Of course, it will be my pleasure.

ls|while read xx
# The read command reads from stdin.
# Type: read xx
# Type bla
# echo $xx
# You will see $xx = bla
# Ls pipes it to read. It disables the keyboard.

do
if [ -f $xx ] ;then
# Test if $xx is a regular file.

dir=$(echo $xx|awk '{print substr( $1, 1, 1)}')
# echo $xx|awk '{print substr( $1, 1, 1)}'
# Pipe $xx to awk and print a substring from the first
# field beginning at the first char 1 char long
# $( )-> means execute the command
# the output of:
# echo $xx|awk '{print substr( $1, 1, 1)}'
# will be assigned to dir

if [ ! -d $dir ] ;then
# check if $dir is not (!) a directory
mkdir $dir
# Create the directory $dir

Please say sane Janet.
I hope this is enough to contribute to that.
When not, just ask.

Regards Gregor Gregor.Weertman@mailcity.com