Possible to use /usr/bin/watch to call a function [SOLVED]

graysky · 2012-07-30 05:52:39

I want to have a script both define functions and have the ability to run an external program calling one of them. This is the simplified construct:

#!/bin/bash
foo() {
  echo "this is foo"
}

bar() {
  echo "this is bar"
}

case "$1" in
  one)
    foo
    ;;
  two)
    export bar
    /usr/bin/watch bar
    ;;
  *)
    echo $0 "{one|two}"
    exit 0
    ;;
esac

So if I invoke /path/to/script one the foo function runs and it exits as expected. I want to ability to run the bar function as if it were a stand-alone program via `/usr/bin/watch bar` but this doesn't work as expected.

$ /path/to/script two
Every 2.0s: bar                                                                         Mon Jul 30 01:52:15 2012

sh: bar: command not found

How can I accomplish it?

Last edited by graysky (2012-07-30 07:16:56)

halhen · 2012-07-30 06:18:48

export -f bar

graysky · 2012-07-30 06:29:34

Thanks halhen!

...now why didn't the man page for export show me that? I do see it here but not from a `man export`

halhen · 2012-07-30 06:38:54

You're very welcome.

'-f' seems to not be POSIX standard, which is what export(1p) documents.

tomk · 2012-07-30 09:15:16

To expand slightly on that, export(1p) comes from the man-page project, but the export command you're actually using is a bash built-in, and is therefore documented in the bash man page.

Arch Linux

#1 2012-07-30 05:52:39

Possible to use /usr/bin/watch to call a function [SOLVED]

#2 2012-07-30 06:18:48

Re: Possible to use /usr/bin/watch to call a function [SOLVED]

#3 2012-07-30 06:29:34

Re: Possible to use /usr/bin/watch to call a function [SOLVED]

#4 2012-07-30 06:38:54

Re: Possible to use /usr/bin/watch to call a function [SOLVED]

#5 2012-07-30 09:15:16

Re: Possible to use /usr/bin/watch to call a function [SOLVED]

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