How to get the exit code from the source script

Question

I have two scripts main script and sub script and I called the subscript using source script, if the specified package is not installed then it should return exit code 1.

If I run the main script by using bash main.sh I am unable to get the subScriptExitCode from the main script

main script

source "sub.sh"

subScriptExitCode=$?

log "subScript ExitCode: $subScriptExitCode"

if [ $subScriptExitCode -ne 0 ]; then
    exit $subScriptExitCode
fi

sub script

type -p <package>

subScriptExitCode=$?

if [ $subScriptExitCode -ne 0 ]; then
    exit 1
fi

You may prefer to use return instead of exit inside sub.sh — PTRK
– PTRK, Commented Jul 31, 2018 at 13:30

PTRK · Accepted Answer · 2018-07-31 14:13:32Z

6

When a file is sourced, don't use exit, as this will terminate the whole execution. Instead, use return in sub.sh :

return [n]

Causes a function to exit with the return value specified by n. If used outside a function, but during execution of a script by the . (source) command, it causes the shell to stop executing that script and return either n or the exit status of the last command executed within the script as the exit status of the script. If used outside a function and not during execution of a script by ., the return status is false.

sub.sh

type -p <package>

subScriptExitCode="$?"

if [ "$subScriptExitCode" -ne 0 ]; then
    return 1
fi

edited Jul 31, 2018 at 14:13

answered Jul 31, 2018 at 13:38

PTRK

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Comments

Eby Jacob · Accepted Answer · 2018-07-31 13:25:48Z

1

Instead of sourcing the sub script run it as below and check the return code

Main.sh

sh sub.sh

subScriptExitCode=$?

log "subScript ExitCode: $subScriptExitCode"

if [ $subScriptExitCode -ne 0 ]; then
    exit $subScriptExitCode
fi

answered Jul 31, 2018 at 13:25

Eby Jacob

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Comments

kvantour · Accepted Answer · 2018-07-31 15:25:49Z

1

If you have a look at the manual of Bash, then you read

source filename [arguments]: Read and execute commands from filename in the current shell environment and return the exit status of the last command executed from filename. If filename does not contain ...

^{source: man bash}

These are two very important properties which are related to your problem:

If your sub_script encounters a subScriptExitCode which is different from zero. It will terminate the main_script instantaneously due to the exit statement.
The main_script will set subScriptExitCode to the exit state of the if-statement. This is zero in case subScriuptExitCode of sub_script equals 0.

if list; then list; [ elif list; then list; ] ... [ else list; ] fi: ... The exit status is the exit status of the last command executed, or zero if no condition tested true.

^{source: man bash}

A possible way to solve your problem, making use only of the properties of source would be:

sub_script:

type -p <package>
[ $? -eq 0 ]

Here, the test command will exit with the state 0 if type p <package> terminated with zero, otherwise the test-command will exit with state 1. This state is then picked up in your main_source as $?. However, since type -p can only return 0 or 1, you can just get rid of the test and reduce sub_script to:

type -p <package>

type [-aftpP] name [name ...]: ... type returns true if all of the arguments are found, false if any are not found.

^{[source: man bash]}

edited Jul 31, 2018 at 15:25

answered Jul 31, 2018 at 13:54

kvantour

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2 Comments

Charles Duffy Over a year ago

[ $? -eq 0 ] only changes all nonzero values to 1; it serves no other useful purpose -- which is to say, sub_script's exit status will be that of the last command, type -p, without it.

kvantour Over a year ago

@CharlesDuffy I just realized what you meant. I have updated the post to reflect this.

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