Bash Error: syntax error near unexpected token `{

araouf · 03-04-2010, 06:07 AM

Hi,

I am new to shell scripting, bash specifically.
I am trying to run the following script:

Code:

#!/bin/bash

#send notification emails
sendMails(){
	emails=$1 # get all email ids
}


processLine(){
	line="$@" # get all args
	
	echo -e "****************************"
}

# Shell script utility to read a file line line.
# Once line is read it can be process in processLine() function
# You can call script as follows, to read myfile.txt:
# ./readline myfile.txt
# Following example will read line from standard input device aka keyboard:
# ./readline
# -----------------------------------------------
# Copyright (c) 2005 nixCraft <http://cyberciti.biz/fb/>
# This script is licensed under GNU GPL version 2.0 or above
# -------------------------------------------------------------------------
# This script is part of nixCraft shell script collection (NSSC)
# Visit http://bash.cyberciti.biz/ for more information.
# -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
### Main script stars here ###
# Store file name
FILE=""
 
# Make sure we get file name as command line argument
# Else read it from standard input device
if [ "$1" == "" ]; then
   FILE="/dev/stdin"
else
   FILE="$1"
   # make sure file exist and readable
   if [ ! -f $FILE ]; then
  	echo "$FILE : does not exists"
  	exit 1
   elif [ ! -r $FILE ]; then
  	echo "$FILE: can not read"
  	exit 2
   fi
fi
# read $FILE using the file descriptors
 
# Set loop separator to end of line
BAKIFS=$IFS
IFS=$(echo -en "\n\b")
exec 3<&0
exec 0<$FILE
while read line
do
	# use $line variable to process line in processLine() function
	processLine $line
done
exec 0<&3
 
# restore $IFS which was used to determine what the field separators are
BAKIFS=$ORIGIFS
exit 0

When trying to execute I always get this error:

Code:

'iors_response.sh: line 4: syntax error near unexpected token `{
'iors_response.sh: line 4: `sendMails(){

In case you need to know the permissions. Here is it:

Code:

-rwxr-xr-x    1 abdelraouf users        5224 Mar  4 06:46 biors_response.sh

I run the script using the following command:

Code:

bash biors_response.sh hosts.txt

That's all. If you need any aditional information, please ask.

Thanks in advance.

Kenhelm · 03-04-2010, 04:43 PM

A non-printing character at the end of this line
sendMails(){
could cause such error messages.
For example, if the script has been edited in Windows it could have carriage return characters at the line ends. Carriage returns are written as \r or ^M.
This demonstration uses 'echo -e' and '\r' to create a script with a carriage return character after
sendMails(){
Running the script gives the same error messages.

Code:

echo -e '#!/bin/bash
sendMails(){\r
 echo "Hello"
}
sendMails' > test.sh     # Create the script

chmod a+x test.sh        # Make the script executable

Code:

cat test.sh              # Inspect the script
#!/bin/bash
sendMails(){             # The \r is not visible
 echo "Hello"
}
sendMails

./test.sh                # Run the script
'/test.sh: line 2: syntax error near unexpected token `{
'/test.sh: line 2: `sendMails(){

Code:

cat --show-nonprinting test.sh
#!/bin/bash
sendMails(){^M           # ^M is the same as \r
 echo "Hello"
}
sendMails