Question

how to overwrite an existing text file in shell script ?

Asked by: cat21

I would like to know how to overwrite an existing text file
as i wrote the script likethis ....>> /home/abc.txt.
However, the text file keeps appending texts without overwrite the exsting content at all.  According to what I read from the various sources,
it stated it should use > instead of >>. I tried it but it failed to execute.
Please help on this problem, thanks!

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Asked On
2003-03-18 at 23:33:15ID20555759
Tags

file

,

shell

,

script

,

text

,

overwrite

Topic

Linux Programming

Participating Experts
5
Points
20
Comments
8

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Answers

 

by: girish_nairPosted on 2003-03-19 at 08:27:35ID: 8167664

Simply if you use
echo "hello" > /your_dir/abc.txt
On a command prompt it works fine.

HTH

 

by: veerunsPosted on 2003-03-20 at 08:08:20ID: 8174726

use
>| to force overwriting
hope it helps
Ram

 

by: DracoXPosted on 2003-03-20 at 14:14:21ID: 8177238

In addition to using a single > when trying to write the file, make sure you have permission to write to the directory itself, and not just the file.

 

by: veerunsPosted on 2003-03-21 at 06:52:09ID: 8181051

ohh yeah right..of course..i thgt that was understood

 

by: GP1628Posted on 2003-04-01 at 21:44:40ID: 8251333

in cases where you only have access to the file and not the directory, you can "empty out" the file by doing..

cp /dev/null /home/abc.txt

then the >> can append to the newly zero'd file.

Gandalf  Parker

 

by: veerunsPosted on 2003-04-02 at 08:45:59ID: 8254784

yeah that would be a really good idea

 

by: jmcgPosted on 2004-01-12 at 23:25:39ID: 10102061

No comment has been added lately, so it's time to clean up this TA.
I will leave the following recommendation for this question in the Cleanup topic area:

Accept: GP1628 {http:#8251333}

Please leave any comments here within the next seven days.
PLEASE DO NOT ACCEPT THIS COMMENT AS AN ANSWER!

jmcg
EE Cleanup Volunteer

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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