mar77i@asus77i:~$ 0+445 -bash: 0+445: command not found mar77i@asus77i:~$ a=(0+445) mar77i@asus77i:~$ echo $a 0+445
holy crap, that's what happens. Weren't you looking for this instead: mar77i@asus77i:~$ a=$(( 5554 - 1000 )) mar77i@asus77i:~$ echo $a 4554 so, you're misusing bash's array syntax to concatenate a string with the output from a useless cat. Hmm, after writing this you could be using IFS=+, but then again, you'd have nonsensical "subtractions" on the last two lines you posted, unless... No, I just don't believe you set IFS=+-. The most interesting thing I find that you keep prepending 'let' to your assignments, presumaby FOR the BASIC look of it. NEXT. Enough of this, pretty much because I know bash pretty well, I'd say it's probably futile to try to review something as naturally ugly and confusing as bash, but this indeed was pretty far off... cheers! mar77i
