how to declare variable name with "-" char (dash ) in linux bash script

Question

I wrote simple script as follow ``` #!/bin/bash auth_type="" SM_Read-only="Yes" SM_write-only="No" echo -e ${SM_Read-only} echo -e ${SM_Write-only} if [ "${SM_Read-only}" == "Yes" ] && [ "${SM_Write-only}" == "Yes" ] then auth_type="Read Write" else auth_type="Read" fi echo -e $auth_type ``` And when i execute it i got following output with errors. ``` ./script.bash: line 5: SM_Read-only=Yes: command not found ./script.bash: line 6: SM_write-only=No: command not found only only Read ``` Any one know correct way to declare the variable with "-" (dash)? EDIT: have getting response from c code and evaluate the variables for example ``` RESP=`getValue SM_ Read-only ,Write-only 2>${ERR_DEV}` RC=$? eval "$RESP" ``` from above scripts code my c binary `getValue` know that script want `Read-only` and `Write-only` and return value to script.So during `eval $RESP` in cause error and in my script i access variable by ``` echo -e ${SM_Read-only} echo -e ${SM_Write-only} ``` which also cause error.

Accepted Answer

Rename the variable name as follows:

```
SM_Read_only="Yes"
SM_write_only="No"
```

Please, don't use `-` minus sign in variable names in bash, please refer to the answer, on how to set the proper variable name in bash.

However if you generate the code, based on others output, you can simply process their output with sed:

```
RESP=$(getValue SM_ Read-rule,Write-rule 2>${ERR_DEV}|sed "s/-/_/g")
RC=$?
eval "$RESP"
```

how to declare variable name with "-" char (dash ) in linux bash script

Solution

Problem