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[HOWTO] Google command line search script (via Links)
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user118696
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 12:57 pm    Post subject: [HOWTO] Google command line search script (via Links) Reply with quote

[HOWTO] Google command line search script (via Links)

I finally managed to come up with a nice little script that lets me search directly Google via the command line. Be warned though : it's not bullet proof. If you enter unusual search characters, it may misbehave. But it's quite stable for common usage. In particular, double quotes are handled pretty well.

I hope this is useful for someone out there :)

Code:
#!/bin/bash
#
# google.sh
# ---------
#  Automatic Google search from the command line.
#
#    Syntax : $ google {search terms}
#
if [ -z $1 ]
then
  # If no search term --> start Links on the Google page
  #
  links http://google.ca/
else
  #URL construction
  #
  url='http://google.ca/search?num=50&hl=en&safe=off&q='

  appended=0
  for searchTerm in "$@"
  do
    # Replace white spaces in the search terms
    #
    searchTerm=`echo $searchTerm | sed 's/ /%20/g'`

    url="$url%22$searchTerm%22"

    if [ $appended -lt `expr $# - 1` ]
    then
      url="$url"\+
    else
      url="$url"\&btnG\=Google\+Search\&meta\=
    fi

    let "appended+=1"
  done

  links $url
fi

exit 0


ORIGINAL POST :

I'm trying to write a very simple script which will start Links with a Google search automatically.
I haven't found the syntax to use after http://www.google.ca/(here)

I want the search terms to come from the command line like this:
Code:
$ google planet earth "atlantic ocean"

This should search for planet earth "atlantic ocean" on Google.

The script for now:
Code:
#!/bin/bash
#
# google.sh (FYI : it is executable)
#
# Type google {search terms} at the command line. (FYI : There is a symbolic link named
# 'google' that points to google.sh)
#
links http://www.google.ca/??????????(with $* in it)??????????


Question - What's the syntax after google.ca/ for a direct search?

Thanks.


Last edited by user118696 on Mon Jun 25, 2007 11:34 pm; edited 1 time in total
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trolley
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 1:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd try:

Quote:
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=$1+$2+$3&btnG=Google+Search&meta=


etc. Of course you should use a loop, start with http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q= and keep appending the $1, $2, etc. for each parameter. This is just a wild guess based on actually trying a search via the Google site.
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user118696
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 2:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

trolley wrote:
Code:
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=$1+$2+$3&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

Tried this already.
Doesn't work.
Links gets started (as shown by ps -A) but it does not appear on screen (which blanks). It stays in the background even after Ctrl-C is hit.
What is missing? I guess it's a quite stupid bash scripting mistake.
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SiberianSniper
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Location: Dayton, OH, USA

PostPosted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think you need to escape the ampersands, ex:
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en\&q=$1+$2+$3\&btnG=Google+Search\&meta=

if that doesn't work, try replacing links with echo in the bash command for debugging?
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user118696
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 10:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

SiberianSniper wrote:
I think you need to escape the ampersands, ex:
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en\&q=$1+$2+$3\&btnG=Google+Search\&meta=

if that doesn't work, try replacing links with echo in the bash command for debugging?

Of course... :( That was a stupid scripting error. It works now, partly though.

Question : Does anyone know how to tell 'my script' to take everything on the command line after google? I mean this especially for the quotes (' or "). They are not taken into account. I'd like them to be part of $* as every other character.
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JeliJami
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 12:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

From the Advanced Bash-Scripting Guide:
Quote:

$*
All of the positional parameters, seen as a single word
"$*" must be quoted.
$@
Same as $*, but each parameter is a quoted string, that is, the parameters are passed on intact, without
interpretation or expansion. This means, among other things, that each parameter in the argument list
is seen as a separate word.
Of course, "$@" should be quoted.

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user118696
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 11:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm done whith the script I intended to build. Everything works just fine for me. Have a look at the first post of this topic for an updated script. Any improvement is welcome, of course.
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mark_alec
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 9:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Moved from Portage & Programming to Documentation, Tips & Tricks.
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