sed with multiple word string initialized with read command

Question

I 've got a file named file.conf containing:

this is the configuration text and this is the WORD to change.

Running:

sed -i 's/WORD/"ONE TWO"/g' file.conf

I will have file.conf modified:

this is the configuration text and this is the "ONE TWO" to change.

now if I make a script, using read:

read -p 'word to change' TEXT -> "ONE TWO"
echo $TEXT -> "ONE TWO" 
sed -i 's/WORD/'$TEXT'/g' file.conf

it does not work with error message:

sed: -e expression #1, char 11: unterminated `s' command

file.conf is not modified in this case.

but it works if I read $TEXT with only one word without spaces: "ONE" for instance.

Thanx folks.

Possible duplicate of How to use variables in a command in sed? — oguz ismail
– oguz ismail, Commented Nov 29, 2018 at 18:14

Kubator · Accepted Answer · 2018-11-29 18:24:40Z

1

Double quote variable like this:

sed -i 's/WORD/'"$TEXT"'/g' file.conf

Even safer:

sed -i 's/WORD/'"${TEXT}"'/g' file.conf

answered Nov 29, 2018 at 18:24

Kubator

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