Creating sub menu in bash

Question

I'm trying to do the following :

function main_menu 
{
option=0
until [ "$option" = "4" ]; do
echo "  1.) Add user"
echo "  2.) Remove user"
echo "  3.) Update user"
echo "  4.) Quit"

echo -n "Enter choice: "
read option
echo ""
case $option in
    1 ) add_user ; press_enter ;;
    2 ) remove_user ; press_enter ;;
    3 ) update_user ; press_enter ;;
    4 ) exit;;
    * ) tput setf 4;echo "Please enter 1, 2, 3, or 4";tput setf 4; 
esac
done
 }

In a switch case(do while option is not 4).The 3rd option will show another sub menu with switch case as follows:

function update_user 
{
 option=0
 until [ "$option" = "3"]; do
 echo "  1.) Update username"
 echo "  2.) Update password"
 echo "  3.) Return to menu"

 echo -n "Enter choice: "
 read option
 echo ""
 case $option in
 1 ) update_username; press_enter ;;
 2 ) update_password; press_enter ;;
 3 ) main_menu; press_enter ;;
 4 ) exit;;
 * ) tput setf 3;echo "Please enter 1, 2 or 3";tput setf 3; 
 esac
 done
  }

The 3rd option goes back to the main menu, but when I try to quit the sub menu keeps appearing.

Anyone can advise me on a better way?

You can just use bash select builtin tldp.org/LDP/Bash-Beginners-Guide/html/sect_09_06.html — Konstantin V. Salikhov
– Konstantin V. Salikhov, Commented Aug 2, 2014 at 14:13
@KonstantinV.Salikhov I'll try it out. Are there any other ways,though? — Zenix
– Zenix, Commented Aug 2, 2014 at 14:20
Start by cleaning up your code so it runs at all, and then posting. As written, your sub menu is never called. — Beggarman
– Beggarman, Commented Aug 2, 2014 at 14:22

John B · Accepted Answer · 2014-08-02 16:46:07Z

2

As pointed out by @KonstantinV.Salikhov, menus in bash are what select loops are for.

Here's one way you can implement your menu using select:

main_menu () {
    options=(
        "Add user"
        "Remove user"
        "Update user"
        "Quit"
    )
    select option in "${options[@]}"; do
        case $option in
            ${options[0]})
                add_user
                break
            ;;
            ${options[1]})
                remove_user
                break
            ;;
            ${options[2]})
                update_user
                break
             ;;
            ${options[3]})
                exit
             ;;
            *) 
                echo invalid option
            ;;
        esac
    done
}
main_menu

edited Aug 2, 2014 at 16:46

answered Aug 2, 2014 at 16:32

John B

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Comments

Community · Accepted Answer · 2020-06-20 09:12:55Z

1

Replace two times $selection with $option, break with exit, remove } in function update_user, in function update_user add } after done and replace "$option" = "7" with "$option" = "4".

#!/bin/bash

function update_user 
{
 option=0
 until [ "$option" = "3"]; do
 echo "  1.) Update username"
 echo "  2.) Update password"
 echo "  3.) Return to menu"

 echo -n "Enter choice: "
 read option
 echo ""
 case $option in
 1 ) update_username; press_enter ;;
 2 ) update_password; press_enter ;;
 3 ) main_menu; press_enter ;;
 4 ) break ;;
 * ) tput setf 3;echo "Please enter 1, 2 or 3";tput setf 3; 
 esac
#   }
 done
}

function main_menu 
{
option=0
until [ "$option" = "4" ]; do
echo "  1.) Add user"
echo "  2.) Remove user"
echo "  3.) Update user"
echo "  4.) Quit"

echo -n "Enter choice: "
read option
echo ""
case $option in
    1 ) add_user ; press_enter ;;
    2 ) remove_user ; press_enter ;;
    3 ) update_user ; press_enter ;;
    4 ) exit;;
    * ) tput setf 4;echo "Please enter 1, 2, 3, or 4";tput setf 4; 
esac
done
 }

main_menu

edited Jun 20, 2020 at 9:12

CommunityBot

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answered Aug 2, 2014 at 14:32

Cyrus

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4 Comments

Zenix Over a year ago

The code runs,but if I replace break with exit won't it exit from the program? I'm trying to return to the sub menu.

Cyrus Over a year ago

Replace only break with exit in function main_menu.

Zenix Over a year ago

That's what I tried though,but nothing happens. It doesn't go back to main menu.

Cyrus Over a year ago

I've added your code as a bash script in my answer. It works for me.

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