Bash : preserve string with spaces input on command line? -

Bash : preserve string with spaces input on command line? -

i'd allow string captured spaces, that:

echo -n "enter description: " read input echo $input

would produce:

> come in description: wonderful description! > wonderful description!

possible?

the main thing worry when refer variable without enclosing in double-quotes, shell word splitting (splits multiple words wherever there's space or other whitespace character), wildcard expansion. solution: utilize double-quotes whenever refer variable (e.g. echo "$input").

second, read trim leading , trailing whitespace (i.e. spaces @ origin and/or end of input). if care this, utilize ifs= read (this wipes out definition of whitespace, nil gets trimmed). might want utilize read's -r ("raw") option, doesn't seek interpret backslash @ end of line continuation character.

finally, i'd recommend using read's -p alternative supply prompt (instead of echo -n).

with of these changes, here's script looks like:

ifs= read -r -p "enter description: " input echo "$input"

string bash input