>> line="password requisite /lib/security/$ISA/pam_cracklib.so >> newline="password required /lib/security/$ISA/pam_cracklib.so >> I need to maintain whitespace >> >> perl -p -i -e s/"$line"/"$newline"/ file >> >> That tosses out all kinds of errors > > Modern regexp engines allow you to use an arbitrary char as the pattern > delimiter. If I've got slashes in my patterns, I tend to use # as the > delimiter, which allows you to avoid Leaning Toothpick Syndrome. Other people > may use | . # is visually distinctive and not as common as / in some > string-replace contexts, though: > > perl -p -i -e 's#"$line"#"$newline"#' file The | sits right under the \ on the keyboard, so it is easy to put into scripts. The # may seem like a reasonable delimiter unless the lines being read in have comments in them. In which case most files I've seen use the # to denote a comment or a comment line... --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss