Question

I want to input a string through command line to bash script and output to that string to a text file with current system time as follows.

outputLog.txt

name1 = Tue Jan  20 14:00 19 IST 2012
name2 =Tue Jan  20 14:05 19 IST 2012
name3 = Tue Jan  20 14:20 19 IST 2012
name4 =Tue Jan 20 14:45 19 IST 2012

I use the following bash script to obtain the output above

#!/bin/bash
echo "$1 = $(date)" >>/root/Desktop/scripts/outputLog.txt

In command line 
[root@localhost desktop]# ./myscript.sh name1

Is there any possible way to search the name entered through command line is already found in generated output text file?if found update the current system time of that name string

in command line we enter

[root@localhost desktop]# ./myscript.sh name1

name1 is already occupied in the outputLog.txt. I want to output the the text file as

 name1 = Tue Feb  21 14:00 19 IST 2012(todays current system time)
    name2 =Tue Jan  21 14:05 19 IST 2012
    name3 = Tue Jan  21 14:20 19 IST 2012
    name4 =Tue Jan  21 14:45 19 IST 2012

How can i update that name string with current system time.

Answer 1

 #!/bin/bash
 fgrep "${1}" /YOUR/OUTPUT/LOG &&
     sed -i "/${1}/ s/.*/${1} $(date)/" /YOUR/OUTPUT/LOG ||
     echo "${1} $(date)" >> /YOUR/OUTPUT/LOG

might work for you. Note that it fails, if your nameN can contain any /.