Question

How can I keep variables used in a script in a secondary file? For example, use store variables in myscript.env for use in a script myscript.sh.

So whenever I need to change variables I can edit myscript.env instead of myscript.sh.

Answer 1

Simply include the file using the “dot operator”.

assuming these two files are in the same directory, the following will work:

t.sh:

#!/usr/bin/sh

# Note the first dot on the following line
. ./t.env 
echo $TESTVAR

t.env:

TESTVAR="Hello world"

When run:

~/tmp$ sh ./t.sh
Hello world