#!/bin/bash

#source the function we want to use

source ~/func_choice.1

#also, the syntax '. ~/func_choice.1' (no quote marks, duh) works for that as well

THISPACKAGE=`date`  # this wasn't included in the bash cookbook...?

until [ "$CHOICE" = "y" ]; do
        printf "%b" "This package's date is $THISPACKAGE\n" >&2
        choice "Is that correct? [Y/,<New date>]: "
        if [ -z "$CHOICE" ]; then
                CHOICE='y'
        elif [ "$CHOICE" != "y" ]; then
             
# typo on the line below, should be "$THISPACKAGE with"
# below the dashes are the examples WITH the correct spacing, 
# and without the spacing is the example right below it 

            printf "%b" "Overriding $THISPACKAGEwith ${CHOICE}\n" 
                THISPACKAGE=$CHOICE
        fi
done

[root@atlas ~]# 

-------------------

[root@atlas ~]# ./choice.sh 

This package's date is Fri Nov 26 21:39:39 PST 2010
Is that correct? [Y/,<New date>]: 11/27/2010
Overriding  11/27/2010
This package's date is 11/27/2010
Is that correct? [Y/,<New date>]: y

[root@atlas ~]# 

[root@atlas ~]# ./choice.sh 

This package's date is Fri Nov 26 21:39:08 PST 2010
Is that correct? [Y/,<New date>]: 11/27/2010
Overriding Fri Nov 26 21:39:08 PST 2010 with 11/27/2010
This package's date is 11/27/2010
Is that correct? [Y/,<New date>]: y


 

# cookbook filename: func_choose
# Let the user make a choice about something and execute code based on
# the answer
# Called like: choose <default (y or n) > <prompt> <yes action> <no action>
# e. g. choose "y" \
#       "Do you want to play a game?" \
#       /usr/games/GlobalThermonucularWar \
#       ' printf "%b" "See you later Professor Falkin. "' >&2
# Returns: nothing
function choose {
    local default="$1"
    local prompt="$2"
    local choice_yes="$3"
    local choice_no="$4"
    local answer
    read -p "$prompt" answer
    [ -z "$answer" ] && answer="$default"
    case "$answer" in
        [ yY1] ) exec "$choice_yes"
            # error check
            ;;
        [ nN0] ) exec "$choice_no"
            # error check
            ;;
        *     ) printf "%b" "Unexpected answer ' $answer' ! "  >&2 ; ;
    esac
} # end of function choose

choose y "choose one" {echo "yes"} {echo "no"}


$./func_choose
$./func_choose: line 19: syntax error near unexpected token `yY1]'