I am saving my global variable arrays to a file with this:
declare -p hashTable > $File
declare -p testArray >> $File
I would like to load them back to global variables. I was using this:
source $File
That is fine when called from the global scope, but when it is within a function, it loads the variables back as local.
Is there a way to load them to globals? Is there a way to save with the -g option so it loads globally?
On BASH 4.2+, you can source script as this inside your function:
fn() {
source <(sed 's/^declare -[aA]/&g/' "$File")
}
# access your array outside the function
declare -p testArray
This sed will find lines starting with declare -a or declare -A and replace them with declare -ag thus making all the array as global.
\ndeclare -a is part of the value of an array element.-[aA] to handle associative arrays as well.
declare -p hashTable testArray | sed 's/ -[aA]/&g/' >$File, then no need to use sed again... I won't post this: +1 for g switch!s/declare -[aA] is useless, as sed will consider 1st occurence of space - aA.
There are 2 way of doing this:
use -g argument of declare command
declare -p hashTable testArray | sed 's/ -[aA]/&g/' >$File
Nota: I prefer using sed when writting $File, instead of when reading.
fn() { source $File; }
declaring global variable out of the scope of function:
declare -p hashTable testArray | sed 's/^.* -[aA] //' >$File
then now:
fn() { source $File; }
declare -A hashTable
declare -a testArray
fn
If Associative array are declared before function and declare command are not used in the scope of function, this will do the job.
source could by written .: fn() { . $File; }.declare -p hashTable | sed '1s/^declare -[aA]/&g/' > $File to inject it only on the first line, and append the others the same way.
declarewas never designed to be a (de)serialization tool. You are better off using a different language if you want this type of control.