Putting the output of a command with interaction inside a variable while using grep in bash

Question

This program I use has it's own variables to set when you run it, so I want to set those variables and then greping the output then storing it inside a variable. However, I don't know how to go about this the correct way. The idea I have doesn't work. The focus is on lines 7 through 14.

1  #!/usr/local/bin/bash
2  source /home/gempak/NAWIPS/Gemenviron.profile
3  FILENAME="$(date -u '+%Y%m%d')_sao.gem"
4  SFFILE="$GEMDATA/surface/$FILENAME"
5  echo -n "Enter the station ID: "
6  read -e STATION
7  OUTPUT=$(sflist << EOF
8  SFFILE = $SFFILE
9  AREA = @$STATION
10 DATTIM = all
11 SFPARM = TMPF;DWPF
12 run
13 exit
14 EOF)
15 echo $OUTPUT

But I get this:

./listweather: line 7: unexpected EOF while looking for matching `)'
./listweather: line 16: syntax error: unexpected end of file

Answer 1

I'd put your program to run in a separate .sh script file, and then run the script from your first file, passing the arguments you want to pass as command line arguments. That way you can test them separately.

You could also do it in a function, but I like the modularity of the second script. I don't udnerstand exactly what you are trying to do above, but something like:

runsflist.sh:
#!/bin/bash

FILENAME="$(date -u '+%Y%m%d')_sao.gem"
SFFILE="$GEMDATA/surface/$FILENAME"
AREA = @$STATION
DATTIM = all
SFPARM = TMPF;DWPF
grep $STATION | sflist

main.sh:
#!/bin/bash

echo -n "Enter the station ID: "
read -e STATION
OUTPUT=`runsflist.sh`
echo $OUTPUT

Answer 2

If sflist needs interaction, I'd try something like this:

SFFILE=$(
  ( echo SFFILE = "$SFFILE"
    echo AREA = "@$STATION"
    echo DATTIM = all
    echo SFPARM = TMPF;DWPF
    echo run
    cat
  ) | sflist)

Unfortunately, you have to type exit as part of the interaction.

Answer 3

Putting together everyone's answers, I came across a working solution myself. This code works for me:

#!/usr/local/bin/bash
source /home/gempak/NAWIPS/Gemenviron.profile
FILENAME="$(date -u '+%Y%m%d')_sao.gem"
SFFILE="$GEMDATA/surface/$FILENAME"
echo -n "Enter the station ID: "
read -e STATION

OUTPUT=$(sflist << EOF
SFFILE = $SFFILE
AREA = @$STATION
DATTIM = ALL
SFPARM = TMPF;DWPF
run
exit
EOF
)
echo $OUTPUT | grep $STATION

Thanks everyone!