Thanks very much for the advice on not using $ARGV's directly.
I will change my code to match.

But I'm not sure how your example of system("echo"...) applies to the embedded
blanks in a parameter issue.

What I would like is for the user to be able to use one word, or two words, or
three words (or even more, I guess) for the 2nd parameter. That is:
"Smith" or "Mary Smith" or "Mary Ann Smith".
And I would like all of these to be picked up as just the single parameter,
regardless of how many embedded spaces there are between the quotes.

Thanks again for any help.
Regina

--- In perl-beginner@yahoogroups.com, Shlomi Fish <shlomif@...> wrote:
>
> On Wednesday 17 June 2009 18:29:40 Regina Miller wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
>
> Hi!
>
> First of all, you shouldn't use $ARGV[0] , $ARGV[1], etc. directly. Do:
>
> {{{
> my ($first_name, $last_name, $address) = @ARGV;
> }}}
>
> Which is a much more robust idea.
>
> Secondly, look at the list form of system:
>
> {{{
> system("echo", "One two", "three four--five");
> }}}
>
> Hope it helps.
>
> Regards,
>
> Shlomi Fish
>
>
> >
> >
> > My script to add a new user is below, written on solaris 10.
> >
> >
> >
> > Running it using either of these two ways (one with double quotes
> > around the second parameter and one with single quotes):
> >
> > ./adduser.sh TestAcct "John Smith" Law
> >
> > ./adduser.sh TestAcct 'John Smith' Law
> >
> > My script thinks I have entered four parameters.
> >
> >
> >
> > But when I run it using the following (with no embedded spaces):
> >
> > ./adduser.sh TestAcct JohnSmith Law
> >
> > It then thinks I have entered three parameters.
> >
> >
> >
> > How do I get a parameter that has embedded spaces to register as just
> > one parameter??
> >
> >
> >
> > Thanks for any help,
> >
> > Regina
> >
> >
> >
> > Regina Miller
> >
> > Lead Analyst, Grays Harbor County
> >
> > (360) 249-4144 ext 457
> >
> > rmiller@...
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > MY SCRIPT
> >
> >
> >
> > eval "exec ctperl -S $0 $*"
> >
> > if $running_via_sh;
> >
> > #$Id: adduser.sh,v 302.4 1995/07/21 16:29:18 nick Exp $
> >
> > #require 'ctree.pl';
> >
> > ########################################################################
> > ########
> >
> > # %perl
> >
> > # %width 80
> >
> > # %title Add a New User
> >
> > # %name adduser.sh
> >
> >
> >
> > use strict;
> >
> > use warnings;
> >
> >
> >
> > die 'Usage: adduser username "full name" group. i.e. adduser testacct
> > "John Smith" Law'
> >
> > unless @ARGV == 3;
> >
> >
> >
> > unless (system "useradd -g $ARGV[2] -d /home/$ARGV[0] -m -s /usr/bin/ksh
> > -c $ARGV[1] $ARGV[0]")
> >
> > {
> >
> > system "passwd $ARGV[0]";
> >
> > exit;
> >
> > }
> >
> > print "Error. User can not be added\n";
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> --
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> Shlomi Fish http://www.shlomifish.org/
> What does "Zionism" mean? - http://xrl.us/bjn8u
>
> God gave us two eyes and ten fingers so we will type five times as much as we
> read.
>