Thread: Regular expression to validate that parameter is a number

Hello, I have this script and I'm not going to bore you with what it does, but the user must enter 1 or more octal numbers into it and the script has to validate it.

I have this regular expression, against which all parameters will be validated:

Code:

isOctal='^[0-7]+$'

When I enter one number, it goes through fine, but when I enter two or more, it doesn't. The way I check parameters against the regex above is:

Code:

if [[ ! $* =~ $isOctal ]]; then
        echo "Number(s) entered not in octal format"

Could it be in the way I try to use "$*" to check ALL parameters or is it my regex? Thanks beforehand.

Hi,

Regex should be in Double Quoted , and keep double quotes to "$*"

hi,

Regex should be in Double Quoted

no. isoctal='^[0-7]$' is fine. and right hand side of test should not be quoted.

I'm lacking some context. what's a typical input?

Code:

myFunction() { isoctal='^[0-7]$'; [[ $1 =~ $isoctal ]] && echo ok || echo ko;}
myFunction 15 5 9
ko

because of 15 and 9

Code:

myFunction 5 6 4
ok

Originally Posted by Watael

hi,

no. isoctal='^[0-7]$' is fine. and right hand side of test should not be quoted.

I'm lacking some context. what's a typical input?

Code:

myFunction() { isoctal='^[0-7]$'; [[ $1 =~ $isoctal ]] && echo ok || echo ko;}
myFunction 15 5 9
ko

because of 15 and 9

Code:

myFunction 5 6 4
ok

okay the problem was solved by making the regex as follows:

Code:

isOctal='^[ 0-7]$'

my teacher helped me with this; apparently when you do "echo $*", it doesn't output seperate positional parameters, but it outputs one line with all the parameters in one piece, therefore, the regular expression would see the spaces in the line between the parameters and would not go through.

oops
I did some attempts with $1 and forgot it wasn't $* anymore