LinuxQuestions.org - [SOLVED] Search and replace backslash variable combination using sed works with CLI but not script

I'm using Pandoc to convert a LaTeX file of a play to markdown. Pandoc unfortunately does not treat the specialized backslash commands used by the Dramatist package properly, eliminating all of the dialogue.

To get around this problem, I wrote a bash script to pre-process the LaTeX text file.

I'm having a peculiar problem with the use of sed to change a backslash-charactername combination to an upper-case version of the charactername. For example, I want this line:

\direct{\Benjamin goes to the door and lets \Noah in}

to be converted to:

\direct{BENJAMIN goes to the door and lets NOAH in}

As I am producing a book of twelve plays, there are over a hundred character names all told. My bash script reads the character names from a file and uses variable substitution to change each character name from its backslash proper case version to a non-backslashed upper-case version. When I test the sed line in a CLI environment, it works; when I test it in the script it doesn't.

If I type these lines in a CLI environment it works:

Code:

Input_File="Test.tex"

Character="Benjamin"

Upper_Case_Character="${Character^^}"

cat "${Input_File}" | sed "s/\\\\${Character}/${Upper_Case_Character}/g"

If I write a script with this code, it doesn't work.

Code:

Input_File="Test.tex"

while IFS="" read Character; do

  Upper_Case_Character="${Character^^}"

  cat "${Input_File}" | sed "s/\\\\${Character}/${Upper_Case_Character}/g"

done < "${Char_File}"

I've tried increasing the number of backslashes to no avail.

Here is the contents of the file Test.tex:

Code:

\documentclass{article}



\usepackage[lnps]{dramatist}



\title{Sample Play}

\author{Peter Freeman}

\date{\today}



\begin{document}

        

        \maketitle



        \Character[\Noah{} -- Noah is a gangling teenager.]{Noah}{Noah}

        \Character[\Benjamin{} -- Benjamin is a solidly built teen.]{Benjamin}{Benjamin}

        

        \DramPer

        

        

        \act

        

        \scene

        

        \StageDir{\Benjamin's bedroom is part of a recreational basement.}

        

        \begin{drama}

                \speaker{Noah} Whatcha doin', Benj?

                

                \direct{\Noah walks into \Benjamin's basement bedroom.}



                \direct{\Benjamin looks up over the smudged pair of glasses he always wears when reading.}

                

                \speaker{Benjamin} I'm figuring out how to build a time machine.

                

                \direct{\Noah throws himself down on an old bean bag that sits against the wall opposite \Benjamin's desk.}

                

                \speaker{Benjamin} Yeah\ldots{}but that's sus. They don't really figure it out properly. There's rules.

                

                \direct{\Benjamin uses his pencil to emphasize his point.}

                

                \speaker{Noah} Sure. You gotta make sure you don't change things, right?

        \end{drama}

        

\end{document}

Thank you,

Peter