3 ms·

> But on the other side of that coin its alot easier in python to do a complex regular expression (maybe depending on a command line argument) on one of those,

by rascul 4y ago

> But on the other side of that coin its alot easier in python to do a complex regular expression (maybe depending on a command line argument) on one of those, using the result in an HTTP request via the `requests` module, packing the results into a digram rendered in PNG and sending it via email. Doesn't sound so bad. A quick argument parser, a call out to grep or sed, pipe to curl, then to graphviz I guess (I don't really know much about image generation tools though), then compose the mail with a heredoc and run sendmail. Sounds like 10 to 15 lines for a quick and dirty solution.

usrbinbash 4y ago
It's certainly possible, but here comes the fun; How read/maintain/extend-able is the solution? How well does it handle errors, assist the user? Add checking if all the programs are installed and useful error messages into the mix. Then the API does a tiny change and now we need a `jq` between curl and graphviz, and maybe we'd need an option for that case as well, and so on, and so on, ... Bash scripts have a nasty tendency to grow, sometimes in ways that are disproportional to the bit of extra functionality that is suddenly required. Very quickly, a small quick'n dirty solution can blow up to a compost-heap ... no less dirty, but now instead of a clean-wipe, I'd need a shovel to get through it. I think my handle speaks for itself as to how much I like bash. But I have had the pleasure of getting handed over bash scripts, hundreds of lines long, with the error description being "it no longer works, could you have a look at it? and the original author both unreachable and apparently having string feelings against comments. And in many of these cases, it took me less time to code a clean solution in Python or Go, than it took me to grok what the hell that script was actually doing.

3 ms·

> But on the other side of that coin its alot easier in python to do a complex regular expression (maybe depending on a command line argument) on one of those,

by rascul 4y ago

usrbinbash 4y ago
It's certainly possible, but here comes the fun; How read/maintain/extend-able is the solution? How well does it handle errors, assist the user? Add checking if all the programs are installed and useful error messages into the mix. Then the API does a tiny change and now we need a `jq` between curl and graphviz, and maybe we'd need an option for that case as well, and so on, and so on, ... Bash scripts have a nasty tendency to grow, sometimes in ways that are disproportional to the bit of extra functionality that is suddenly required. Very quickly, a small quick'n dirty solution can blow up to a compost-heap ... no less dirty, but now instead of a clean-wipe, I'd need a shovel to get through it. I think my handle speaks for itself as to how much I like bash. But I have had the pleasure of getting handed over bash scripts, hundreds of lines long, with the error description being "it no longer works, could you have a look at it? and the original author both unreachable and apparently having string feelings against comments. And in many of these cases, it took me less time to code a clean solution in Python or Go, than it took me to grok what the hell that script was actually doing.