save a text file in a variable in bash

Question

how can I read a text file and save it to a variable in bash ? my code is here :

#!/bin/bash
TEXT="dummy"
echo "Please, enter your project name"
read PROJECT_NAME  
mkdir $PROJECT_NAME  
cp -r -f /home/reza/Templates/Template\ Project/* $PROJECT_NAME  
cd $PROJECT_NAME/Latest  
TEXT = `cat configure.ac `  ## problem is here   !!!  
CHANGED_TEXT=${TEXT//ProjectName/$PROJECT_NAME}
echo $CHANGED_TEXT

Solution 1

The issue is that you have an extra space. Assignment requires zero spaces between the = operator. However, with bash you can use:

TEXT=$(<configure.ac)

You'll also want to make sure you quote your variables to preserve newlines

CHANGED_TEXT="${TEXT//ProjectName/$PROJECT_NAME}"
echo "$CHANGED_TEXT"

Solution 2

Try

TEXT=`cat configure.ac`

That should work.

Edit:

To clarify, the difference is in the spacing: putting a space after TEXT causes bash to try to look it up as a command.

Solution 3

For execute a command and return the result in bash script for save in a variable, for example, you must write the command inner to var=$(command). And you mustn't give spaces between var,'=' and $(). Look at this

TEXT=$('cat configure.ac')

Now, echo $TEXT return the content by file configure.ac.

Comments

[reza]

it worked but it has a problem :the lines are missing .all the characters become in just 1 line like this what I should do ?

[SiegeX]

@reza did you quote your variables like I mentioned?