Skip to main content

Return to Answer

line spacing for improved clarity
Source Link
Serge Stroobandt
Serge Stroobandt
  • 30.5k
  • 9
  • 115
  • 107

In Bash (and ksh, zsh, dash, etc.), you can use parameter expansion with % which will remove characters from the end of the string or # which will remove characters from the beginning of the string. If you use a single one of those characters, the smallest matching string will be removed. If you double the character, the longest will be removed.

$ a='hello:world' 

$ b=${a%:*}
$ echo "$b"
hello 

$ a='hello:world:of:tomorrow' 

$ echo "${a%:*}"
hello:world:of 

$ echo "${a%%:*}"
hello 

$ echo "${a#*:}"
world:of:tomorrow 

$ echo "${a##*:}"
tomorrow

In Bash (and ksh, zsh, dash, etc.), you can use parameter expansion with % which will remove characters from the end of the string or # which will remove characters from the beginning of the string. If you use a single one of those characters, the smallest matching string will be removed. If you double the character, the longest will be removed.

$ a='hello:world'
$ b=${a%:*}
$ echo "$b"
hello
$ a='hello:world:of:tomorrow'
$ echo "${a%:*}"
hello:world:of
$ echo "${a%%:*}"
hello
$ echo "${a#*:}"
world:of:tomorrow
$ echo "${a##*:}"
tomorrow

In Bash (and ksh, zsh, dash, etc.), you can use parameter expansion with % which will remove characters from the end of the string or # which will remove characters from the beginning of the string. If you use a single one of those characters, the smallest matching string will be removed. If you double the character, the longest will be removed.

$ a='hello:world' 

$ b=${a%:*}
$ echo "$b"
hello 

$ a='hello:world:of:tomorrow' 

$ echo "${a%:*}"
hello:world:of 

$ echo "${a%%:*}"
hello 

$ echo "${a#*:}"
world:of:tomorrow 

$ echo "${a##*:}"
tomorrow
added another example
Source Link
Dennis Williamson
Dennis Williamson
  • 356.1k
  • 93
  • 379
  • 442

In Bash (and ksh, zsh, dash, etc.), you can use parameter expansion with % which will remove characters from the end of the string or # which will remove characters from the beginning of the string. If you use a single one of those characters, the smallest matching string will be removed. If you double the character, the longest will be removed.

$ a='hello:world'
$ b=${a%:*}
$ echo "$b"
hello
$ a='hello:world:of:tomorrow'
$ echo "${a%:*}"
hello:world:of
$ echo "${a%%:*}"
hello
$ echo "${a#*:}"
world:of:tomorrow
$ echo "${a##*:}"
tomorrow

In Bash (and ksh, zsh, dash, etc.), you can use parameter expansion with % which will remove characters from the end of the string or # which will remove characters from the beginning of the string. If you use a single one of those characters, the smallest matching string will be removed. If you double the character, the longest will be removed.

$ a='hello:world'
$ b=${a%:*}
$ echo "$b"
hello
$ a='hello:world:of:tomorrow'
$ echo "${a%:*}"
hello:world:of
$ echo "${a%%:*}"
hello
$ echo "${a#*:}"
world:of:tomorrow

In Bash (and ksh, zsh, dash, etc.), you can use parameter expansion with % which will remove characters from the end of the string or # which will remove characters from the beginning of the string. If you use a single one of those characters, the smallest matching string will be removed. If you double the character, the longest will be removed.

$ a='hello:world'
$ b=${a%:*}
$ echo "$b"
hello
$ a='hello:world:of:tomorrow'
$ echo "${a%:*}"
hello:world:of
$ echo "${a%%:*}"
hello
$ echo "${a#*:}"
world:of:tomorrow
$ echo "${a##*:}"
tomorrow
Source Link
Dennis Williamson
Dennis Williamson
  • 356.1k
  • 93
  • 379
  • 442

In Bash (and ksh, zsh, dash, etc.), you can use parameter expansion with % which will remove characters from the end of the string or # which will remove characters from the beginning of the string. If you use a single one of those characters, the smallest matching string will be removed. If you double the character, the longest will be removed.

$ a='hello:world'
$ b=${a%:*}
$ echo "$b"
hello
$ a='hello:world:of:tomorrow'
$ echo "${a%:*}"
hello:world:of
$ echo "${a%%:*}"
hello
$ echo "${a#*:}"
world:of:tomorrow