On: Use long flags when scripting

[jhdevos]

Or even better:

  # Get my IP address by checking dyndns.org
  curl -s checkip.dyndns.org | grep -Eo '[0-9\.]+'

When reading the script, you want to know what it does, not what each character in it does.

Using long flags actually hinders that by adding clutter; you have to parse a much longer line to know what it does. Adding a functional commend and then using the clean short flags is IMHO a much better way.

[qu4z-2 → jhdevos]

Or, even better:

  # Get my IP address by checking ifconfig.me
  curl -s ifconfig.me

The less work you have to do, the better :)

NOTE: If you visit ifconfig.me with your browser you get an html page full of text, but with the curl useragent it just returns the ip-address

[Someone → qu4z-2]

That also introduces a dependency on ifconfig.me.

If your script contains four or five such 'less work you have to do', I bet it breaks within a year.

[qu4z-2 → Someone]

Obviously that's a consideration, but this script has removed a dependency on checkip.dyndns.org. You could make the case that that's more likely to stay up, which is a valid decision.

Alternatively, you could create a "whereami" that returns the ip, and use that in your scripts. If ifconfig.me goes down for good, you have to change the url in one place. I'm sure you'll cope.

[stouset → Someone]

All of the above scripts had external dependencies.