Question

Given the following two executable scripts:

----- file1.sh

#!/bin/sh
. file2.sh
some_routine data

----- file2.sh

#!/bin/sh
some_routine()
{
    #get the data passed in
    localVar=$1
}

I can pass ‘data’ to a subroutine in another script, but I would also like to return data.

Is it possible to return information from some_routine?

e.g: var = some_routine data

Answer 1

Have the subroutine output something, and then use $() to capture the output:

some_routine() {
    echo "foo $1"
}

some_var=$(some_routine bar)