Decrement Variable Value in Bash Scripts [4+ Examples]

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The decrement operation on the bash variable is the tool for repetitive operations for a specific time. Basically, decrement means you can decrease the value of the operand by one, two, three, or whatever you want. It is a handy tool for solving complex problems and automating repetitive tasks. In this article, I will explore some examples related to the decrementing bash variable. So, without further delay, let’s dive deep into decrement.

Key Takeaways

• Learning about implementing for loop, while loop, and while loop for decrementing bash variable.
• Knowing about the post-decrement and pre-decrement operations on Bash variables.

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Decrement in Bash

The decrement is mainly the operation of decreasing the value of a variable. It is an important tool for bash programmers. You can decrease the variable value by one, two, three, four, etc., according to your necessity.

Types

• Post-decrement: In post-decrement, at first, the variable’s value is returned, and then the value is decreased.
• Pre-decrement: In pre-decrement, at first, the variable’s value is decreased, and then the value is returned.

Syntax

Syntax for pre-decrement is

--variable

Syntax for post-decrement is

variable--

Operators

There are some operators to decrement the bash variable. Some operators are given below.

4 Practical Examples Related to the Decrement of Variables in Bash Script

The operation of decrementing bash variables is a necessary operation for looping, counting, progress tracking, and conditional operations. These operations are necessary for data manipulation and automation of complex tasks.

Example 01: Decrement the Variable in Bash

You can do post-decrement by using the x– operator and pre-decrement by using the –x operator. In two cases, I will now show both briefly.

Case 01: Using the “x–” Syntax for Post Decrement the Variable in Bash

In post-decrement operation, decrement operation can be done after the main task. Here, I will develop a script where the value of variable x will be assigned to variable a, and then the value of variable x will be decremented. To know more, follow the below steps.

Steps to Follow >

1. At first, launch an Ubuntu Terminal.
2. Write the following command to open a file in Nano:

   nano script1.sh

   EXPLANATION

   • nano: Opens the nano text editor.
   • script1.sh: Bash script name.
3. Copy the script mentioned below:

   #!/bin/bash
   #assigning value to a
   x=10
   #post decrement of the variable a
   a=$((x- -));
   #printing the value of a
   echo $a

   EXPLANATION

   #! /bin/bash ‘#!’, is called shebang or hashbang. It indicates the interpreter to be used for executing the script, in this case, it’s bash. After that, the x=10 command assigned a value to the x variable. Afterward, the a=$((x–)); command has post-decremented the x variable and assigned to the a variable. Finally, the echo $a command has printed the value of the variable on the terminal.

4. Press CTRL+O and ENTER to save the file; CTRL+X to exit.
5. Use the following command to make the file executable:

   chmod +x script1.sh

   EXPLANATION

   • chmod: Changes the permissions of files and directories.
   • +x: Argument with the chmod command to add the executable permission.
   • script1.sh: File that you want to make executable.
6. Run the script by the following command:

   ./script1.sh

   The image shows that the initial value of that variable, 10, is printed first, and then the value is decreased.

Case 02: Using “–x” Syntax for Pre Decrement the Variable in Bash

In pre-decrement operation, decrement operation can be done before the main task. Here I will develop a script where the value of variable x will be decremented, and then the decremented value will be assigned to variable a. To know more, follow the below script.

Script (script2.sh) >

#!/bin/bash
#assigning value to a
x=10
#pre decrement of the variable a
a=$((--x));
#printing the value of a
echo $a

Run the script by executing the following command

./script2.sh

The image shows that pre-decrement has decreased the value from 10 to 9, then 9 is printed on the terminal.

Example 02: Decrement Variable Value With the for Loop

In this section, I will show you the decrementing variables using the for loop. In the first case, I will show you pre-decrement, and in the second case, I will show you post-decrement.

Case 01: Using “for” Loop to Perform Pre-Decrement of a Variable

In pre-decrement operation, decrement operation can be done before the main task utilizing the for loop. Here, I will develop a script where the value of variable x will be decremented, and then the decremented value will be assigned to variable a. To know more, follow the below script.

Script (script3.sh) >

#!/bin/bash
#initializing for loop
for ((i=5; i>0; - -i)); do
#printing the value of the variable i
echo $i
done

Run the script by executing the following command

./script3.sh

The image shows that pre-decrement has decremented the variable’s value from 5 to 1 one by one and printed every integer utilizing the for loop.

Case 02: Using “for” Loop to Perform Post-Dncrement of a Variable

In post-decrement operation, decrement operation can be done after the main task utilizing the for loop. Here, I will develop a script where the value of variable x will be assigned to variable a, and then the value of variable x will be decremented. To know more, follow the below script.

Script (script4.sh) >

#!/bin/bash
#initializing for loop
for ((i=5; i>0; i–)); do
#printing the value of the variable i
echo $i
done

Run the script by executing the following command

./script4.sh

The image shows that post-decrement has decremented the variable’s value from 5 to 1 one by one and printed every integer utilizing the for loop.

Example 03: Decrement Variable Value With the while Loop

The while loop is another approach to decrement variables. Here, I will briefly show two cases of decreasing variable values with the while loop. The first one is by using -= notation, and the second one is by using -1 notation.

Case 01: Decrementing a Variable Using “while” Loop with “-=” Notation

You can decrement a variable using the while loop with -= notation. Here, I will accomplish this by developing a Bash script. To know more, follow the below script.

Script (script5.sh) >

#!/bin/bash
i=5
while (( $i > 0 ))
do
echo $i
let “i-=1”
done

Run the script by executing the following command

./script5.sh

The image shows that the value of the variable, i has been decreased one by one using the while loop with -= notation.

Case 02: Decrementing a Variable Using “while” Loop with “-1” Notation

You can decrement a variable using the while loop with -1 notation. Here, I will accomplish this by developing a Bash script. To know more, follow the below script.

Script (script6.sh) >

#!/bin/bash
i=5
while [ $i -gt 0 ]
do
echo $i
let “i=i-1”
done

Run the script by executing the following command

./script6.sh

The image shows that the value of the i variables has been decreased one by one using the while loop with -1 notation.

Example 04: Decrement the Variable in Bash Using “Until” Loop

Until loop is a different type of loop, it passes zero return value until the condition is true. Thus, meanwhile, a command inside the loop is executed. Here, I have a bash script that has a until loop inside it and does a decrement operation. To know more, follow the below script.

Script (script7.sh) >

#!/bin/bash
#value of the i has been assigned
i=5
#until loop will execute the echo command inside it until i value is greater than 5
until [ $i -lt 0 ]
do
#value of i will be printed on the terminal
echo $i
#value of i will be increased by one and will be saved on the i variable
i=$((i-1))
done

Run the script by executing the following command

./script7.sh

The image shows that the integer decrementing from 5 to 1 has been printed on the terminal using the until loop.

Conclusion

I have shown you some practicals related to the decrement of bash variables in this article. After going through this article, you will be competent enough to decrement bash variables efficiently and automate your repetitive tasks in the blink of an eye.

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