How to Use Special Characters with `read` Command in Bash
The aim of this pageđź“ť is to explain handling special characters, including newline characters, in the prompt string for the read command in Bash based on the particular example of modifying the prompt for user input.
1 min readApr 3, 2024
- Initially attempted to hardcode a special character, like a newline, directly into a
readcommand simply with double quotes — not working. - Discovered the solution of using ANSI-C quoting with
$'...'syntax to directly insert escape sequences like newline characters in the prompt string for thereadcommand.
code
- initially attempted code which printed everything
read -p "\nthe enemy, the way, the end...(o?)" ordo
# >>> \nthe enemy, the way, the end...(o?)- a more complicated solution using ansi-c quoting:
read -p $'\n'"the enemy, the way, the end...(o?)" ordo
#
# the enemy, the way, the end...(o?)- simplified solution using
$'...'syntax directly in thereadcommand:
read -p $'the enemy, the way, the end...(o?)\n' ordo
#
# the enemy, the way, the end...(o?)\n : Newline
\t : Horizontal tab
\r : Carriage return
\\ : Backslash
\" : Double quote
\' : Single quote
\a : Alert (bell)
\b : Backspace
\f : Form feed
\v : Vertical tab