The declare or
typesetbuiltins (they are exact synonyms)
permit restricting the properties of variables. This is a
very weak form of the typing available in certain programming
languages. The declare command is specific
to version 2 or later of Bash. The typeset
command also works in ksh scripts.
declare/typeset options
-rreadonly
declare -r var1
(declare -r var1 works the same as
readonly var1)
This is the rough equivalent of the C
const type qualifier. An
attempt to change the value of a readonly variable fails with an
error message.
-iinteger
declare -i number
# The script will treat subsequent occurrences of "number" as an integer.
number=3
echo "Number = $number" # Number = 3
number=three
echo "Number = $number" # Number = 0
# Tries to evaluate the string "three" as an integer.
Certain arithmetic operations are permitted
for declared integer variables without the need
for expr or let.
n=6/3
echo "n = $n" # n = 6/3
declare -i n
n=6/3
echo "n = $n" # n = 2
-aarray
declare -a indices
The variable indices will be treated as
an array.
-ffunctions
declare -f
A declare -f line with no
arguments in a script causes a listing of all the
functions previously defined in that script.
declare -f function_name
A declare -f function_name
in a script lists just the function named.
This declares a variable as available for exporting outside the
environment of the script itself.
-x var=$value
declare -x var3=373
The declare command permits
assigning a value to a variable in the same statement
as setting its properties.
Example 9-21. Using declare to type variables
#!/bin/bash
func1 ()
{
echo This is a function.
}
declare -f # Lists the function above.
echo
declare -i var1 # var1 is an integer.
var1=2367
echo "var1 declared as $var1"
var1=var1+1 # Integer declaration eliminates the need for 'let'.
echo "var1 incremented by 1 is $var1."
# Attempt to change variable declared as integer.
echo "Attempting to change var1 to floating point value, 2367.1."
var1=2367.1 # Results in error message, with no change to variable.
echo "var1 is still $var1"
echo
declare -r var2=13.36 # 'declare' permits setting a variable property
#+ and simultaneously assigning it a value.
echo "var2 declared as $var2" # Attempt to change readonly variable.
var2=13.37 # Generates error message, and exit from script.
echo "var2 is still $var2" # This line will not execute.
exit 0 # Script will not exit here.
Using the declare builtin
restricts the scope of a variable.
foo ()
{
FOO="bar"
}
bar ()
{
foo
echo $FOO
}
bar # Prints bar.
However . . .
foo (){
declare FOO="bar"
}
bar ()
{
foo
echo $FOO
}
bar # Prints nothing.
# Thank you, Michael Iatrou, for pointing this out.
