bash: How to use Here document on the command line

Below is a bash command I used to extract some data from the MySQL
DB:
 ========================================
========
today=$( date -d '-2days' +%Y-%m-%d )
mysql -ulihao -p -e 'SELECT ...... FROM ..... WHERE `mydate` LIKE
"$today%" ........'
 ========================================
========

Basically, the SQL command is very long and need to access some shell
variables. I know I can do it like:

mysql -ulihao -p -e '
SELECT ......
FROM .....
WHERE `mydate` LIKE "$today%"
.......
'

Can I use HERE documents? how-to??? I tried the following command
line:

mysql -ulihao -p -e <<END
SELECT ......
FROM .....
WHERE `mydate` LIKE "$today%"
.......
END

and this does NOT work... Also how can I handle backticks properly in
contained SQL command which will execute command under shell..

Thanks,
lihao

On 2008-04-02, lihao0129@gmail.com wrote:
> Below is a bash command I used to extract some data from the MySQL
> DB:
>  ========================================
========
> today=$( date -d '-2days' +%Y-%m-%d )
> mysql -ulihao -p -e 'SELECT ...... FROM ..... WHERE `mydate` LIKE
> "$today%" ........'
>  ========================================
========
>
> Basically, the SQL command is very long and need to access some shell
> variables. I know I can do it like:
>
> mysql -ulihao -p -e '
>     SELECT ......
>     FROM .....
>     WHERE `mydate` LIKE "$today%"
>     ........
> '
>
> Can I use HERE documents? how-to??? I tried the following command
> line:
>
> mysql -ulihao -p -e <<END
>     SELECT ......
>     FROM .....
>     WHERE `mydate` LIKE "$today%"
>     ........
> END
>
> and this does NOT work... Also how can I handle backticks properly in
> contained SQL command which will execute command under shell..

A here-document delivers its contents to the standard input of the
command; you need it on the command line, e.g.:

mysql -ulihao -p -e \
SELECT ...... \
FROM ..... \
WHERE `mydate` LIKE "$today%" \
.......


--
Chris F.A. Johnson, author       <http://cfaj.freeshell.org/shell/>
Shell Scripting Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach (2005, Apress)
===== My code in this post, if any, assumes the POSIX locale
===== and is released under the GNU General Public Licence

On Apr 2, 1:38 pm, "Chris F.A. Johnson" <cfajohn...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 2008-04-02, lihao0...@gmail.com wrote: 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>
>        A here-document delivers its contents to the standard input of the
>        command; you need it on the command line, e.g.:
>
> mysql -ulihao -p -e \
>     SELECT ...... \
>     FROM ..... \
>     WHERE `mydate` LIKE "$today%" \
>     ........

oh, so I can not use HERE document here, right? Is it possible to
assign an input from HERE document to a bash variable, like:

var=<<END
a long paragraph .......
...
END

I know this is not working, just want to know if and how(if possible)
I can do it.. thanks again...

Regards,
lihao

On 2008-04-02, lihao0129@gmail.com wrote:
> On Apr 2, 1:38 pm, "Chris F.A. Johnson" <cfajohn...@gmail.com> wrote: 
>
> oh, so I can not use HERE document here, right?

Right.

> Is it possible to
> assign an input from HERE document to a bash variable, like:
>
> var=<<END
>     a long paragraph .......
>     ....
> END
>
> I know this is not working, just want to know if and how(if possible)
> I can do it.

I repeat:

A here-document delivers its contents to the standard input of
the command; you need it on the command line, e.g.:

var="
a long paragraph
...
"

--
Chris F.A. Johnson, author       <http://cfaj.freeshell.org/shell/>
Shell Scripting Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach (2005, Apress)
===== My code in this post, if any, assumes the POSIX locale
===== and is released under the GNU General Public Licence

In article
<4868a8f7-0d48-474c-aac5-200f70f948eb@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com>,
"lihao0129@gmail.com" <lihao0129@gmail.com> wrote:

> Below is a bash command I used to extract some data from the MySQL
> DB:
>  ========================================
========
> today=$( date -d '-2days' +%Y-%m-%d )
> mysql -ulihao -p -e 'SELECT ...... FROM ..... WHERE `mydate` LIKE
> "$today%" ........'
>  ========================================
========
>
> Basically, the SQL command is very long and need to access some shell
> variables. I know I can do it like:
>
> mysql -ulihao -p -e '
>     SELECT ......
>     FROM .....
>     WHERE `mydate` LIKE "$today%"
>     ........
> '
>
> Can I use HERE documents? how-to??? I tried the following command
> line:
>
> mysql -ulihao -p -e <<END
>     SELECT ......
>     FROM .....
>     WHERE `mydate` LIKE "$today%"
>     ........
> END
>
> and this does NOT work... Also how can I handle backticks properly in
> contained SQL command which will execute command under shell..
>
> Thanks,
> lihao

As the other poster said, here-documents are passed as standard input,
they don't get turned into command arguments.  So you need a command
that will read the input:

mysql -ulihao -p -e "`cat <<END
SELECT ...
FROM ...
WHERE ...
..
END `"

But, as the other poster said, you don't need the here-document, you can
simply enter the parameter as a multi-line quoted argument.

--
Barry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu
Arlington, MA
*** PLEASE don't copy me on replies, I'll read them in the group ***