Bash - using variables in yad form combo box

Question

Bash variables in Yad.

The yad '!' field separator is not separating the fields.

After researching other questions the yad man page and other yad resources, this has me stumped.

I am trying to use variables in a yad form combo box.

The variables are read from a list (cam_list) - in this case two camera models are listed, each followed by nine parameters - (not set in this case and not important to the question)

450D 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000
N3300 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000

Variables $cam1 and $cam2 are declared as follows - the 1st and 11th entries in the text file.

cam1=$(awk 'BEGIN { FS = " " } ; { print $1 }' $cam_list)
cam2=$(awk 'BEGIN { FS = " " } ; { print $11 }' $cam_list)

Check variables

 echo $cam1 $cam2
 450D N3300

Put $cam1 and $cam2 into yad form fields

yad --form --center --text="test" \
                --field="Camera":CB \
                    "$cam1!$cam2"

yad output

Or this way

"$cam1"!"$cam2"

Same result

Further enclosing the variables in double quotes shows $cam1 only...

""$cam1"!"$cam2""

yad output

The behaviour is the same with check boxes. For example;

yad --form --center --title="$TITLE" \
        --text="Please select a camera" \
        --field="$cam1":CHK \
            'TRUE!FALSE' \
        --field="$cam2":CHK \
            'TRUE!FALSE'

Not enough reputation to post a third image, but the expanded variables are grouped to a single check box, while the second check box is not associated with a variable - weird.

This was a headache but it works - the variables expand correctly

--field="ImageMagick threads":NUM \
            "$defaultcores"!1.."$CORES"!1!0 \

I'm not sure whether this is a yad issue or my application. I have a raft of yad dialogs and a paned notebook (6 tabs) that works well, in the same bash script.

Answer 1

This is your problem:

Check variables

echo $cam1 $cam2
450D N3300

You see, if you check them individually you will get this:

echo $cam1
450D N3300
echo $cam2

That is, $cam1 contains "450D\nN3300\n" and $cam2 contains "". In both cases $1 is the first field of the file, and $11 is... nothing. If you want to use awk for this then you need to check NR in the condition.

cam1=$(awk 'NR==1 { print $1 }' "$cam_list")
cam2=$(awk 'NR==2 { print $1 }' "$cam_list")

Answer 2

VAR1='test1!test2!test3' ANS=$(yad --form --field="combo1:CBE" 'test1!test2!test3' \ --field="no-edit combo:CB" 'test1!test2!test3' \ --field="combo2:CBE" "$VAR1" )

selected=$(echo $ANS | awk ' { print $1 $2 $3 }' | tr '|' "\n") echo $selected

The use of single quotes is necessary when the string contains ! as otherwise yad would treat it differently than for a field separator.

I know I am not using your $cam1 and $cam2 var as it is too advanced for me, but at least I can assure you my example works and might trigger a 'WOW' moment for your problem (only kidding!)