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2

Two difference scenario in bash program,

First

Here i am breaking loop in function testFunc.

#!/bin/bash

function testFunc {
    if [ some condition ] ; then
        break
    fi
}

while [ 1 ]
do
    testFunc
done

Second :

In this case, testFunc will return some value, and handling the loop from that value.

#!/bin/bash
function testFunc {
    FUNC_RET=0
    if [ some condition ] ; then
        FUNC_RET=1
    fi
}

while [ 1 ]
do
    testFunc
    if [ 0 == $FUNC_RET]; then
        break
    fi
done

So, which is ideal or proper way to implement this concept.? testFunc may be written in some other script also. Hope this is not one of silly questions.

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I can't see a reason from your examples why it should not possible to skip the if and use while [ condition ]...is there a reason? –  Bobby Jan 27 at 15:04
1  
Thts because, we write whole script logic inside do...while loop, so more than one code blocks will be there in loop. and testFunc may belong to different script also. –  KisHan SarsecHa Gajjar Jan 28 at 5:13
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2 Answers

up vote 2 down vote

Putting the break in the function is needlessly "action at a distance"

I would have the testFunc return the success/failure exit status of the condition it's testing.

#!/bin/bash

function testFunc { [[ some condition ]]; }

while true
do
    : do stuff ...
    testFunc && break
done

But that just cries out for

while ! testFunc
do
    : do stuff ...
done
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up vote 1 down vote

The other reason not to have testFunc send a break is that it makes testFunc unusable anywhere else in the code not inside a while loop. As a general rule functions in any language should avoid side effects and only interact via their arguments and return values.

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+1 for first line...function will be not usable anywhere. –  KisHan SarsecHa Gajjar Jan 28 at 5:17
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