function - bash Call ext func in a echo -

been testing out external functions. overall seem work expected, except one.

i set colors in extern script (mylib)

this seems work fine:

#!/bin/bash . mylib red echo " red text " . mylib white echo " white text "

this isn't, not sure how should go. i'm looking change colors on same line. (without escape coding)

#!/bin/bash . mylib red echo "red text  " . mylib white "  white text"

i tried out few brackets , '$' ideas, fell short.

thanks dave

you can this, it's ridiculously inefficient.

echo "red text $(source mylib; white) white text"

it slightly better source library once:

source mylib # needs done once! echo "red text $(white) white text"

think it: every single time want change colors, you're asking shell this:

call fork() create subshell
in parent shell, start reading output emitted subshell
in subshell, read file mylib , execute each line (in former case)
in subshell, call function white
in subshell, exit status of last command run (in case, command being white function). [because subshell exiting, means work did reading , parsing mylib thrown away, , next time color change needed, mylib need reread , reparsed scratch].
in parent shell, see child shell has closed; call waitpid() reap process table.
in parent shell, substitute content read subshell echo command being run.

it much, more efficient if running source mylib set variable named white, , sourced mylib once , thereafter included variable reference:

source mylib # needs done once! echo "red text ${white} white text"

in case, there's no subshell ever required, less 1 per color change.

you might wish review bashfaq #37 discussion of best practices dealing colors.

Crty