Question

In bash

Write a script which receives a list of parameters. If no parameters are received, output an error message. Otherwise, iterate through the list and, using a case statement, test each item in the list to see if it starts with a capital letter, lower case letter, digit or other. Count each type and output at the end the total for each category (capital, lower case, digit, other).

Answer 1

1. use the $# to check if count of parameters passed are 0, display an error and exit.
2. otherwise loop through all parameters passed.
   1. use the first letter from each parameter in case statement
   2. if letter matches with digit, increment the digit count
   3. if letter matches with lowercase, increment the lowercase count
   4. if letter matches with uppercase, increment the uppercase count
   5. if letter matches with any other, increment the any other count
3. echo the digit count, lowercase, uppercase and any other count

CODE:
# display error if no parameter passed and exit
if [ $# -eq 0 ]
then
echo "Error. No parameter received."
exit;
fi

digit=0
lowercase=0
uppercase=0
anyother=0

# iterate over parameters provided on command line
for item in "$@"
do
# extract first character and use it in case statement
case ${item:0:1} in
# matches if first letter is digit
[0-9])
# increment digit count
digit=$((digit + 1))
;;
# matches if firdt letter is uppercase
[[:upper:]])
# increment uppercase count
uppercase=$((uppercase + 1))
;;
# matches if first letter is lowercase
[[:lower:]])
# increment lowercase count
lowercase=$((lowercase + 1))
;;
# matches if starts with any other letter
*)
# increment any other count
anyother=$((anyother + 1))
;;
esac
done

echo "Digits: $digit"
echo "Lowercase: $lowercase"
echo "Uppercase: $uppercase"
echo "Other: $anyother"

OUTPUT: