(all examples are using /usr/bin/ksh shell)
You could do it this way: DATE=$(date '+%y%j') DATE=$((${DATE} - 1)) [ ${#DATE} -eq 4 ] && DATE="0${DATE}" But you have bigger problems my friend. What happens if the date is 02001 and you subtract 1. The result is 02000 which is invalid. Since you are in a script that is using the db anyway why not do something like this: { sqlplus -s /nolog <<EOF connect / set pagesize 0 select to_char(sysdate - 1, 'YYDDD') from dual; exit; EOF } | grep -iv connected | read DATE Brian P. MacLean Oracle DBA, OCP8i "Ball, Terry" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> om> cc: Sent by: Subject: Sightly OT: Unix scripting [EMAIL PROTECTED] om 03/21/02 12:08 PM Please respond to ORACLE-L Environment: Oracle 8.1.6.3 on Solaris 5.8 I am not a Unix Guru by any strech of the imagination, so I can use all the help I can get. I am trying to write a shell script to execute sqlldr of a file whose name includes yesterday's 2 digit year and julian day in the format: file_yyjjj.csv. I can get today's date fine by setting a variable to be DATE=`date '+%y%j'` But when I try to get DATE -1 it strips the leading 0 (since it is currently 02). Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can retain the leading 0 and still get yesterday's date? TIA, Terry Terry Ball, DBA Birch Telecom Work: 816-300-1335 FAX: 816-300-1801 -- Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com -- Author: Ball, Terry INET: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fat City Network Services -- (858) 538-5051 FAX: (858) 538-5051 San Diego, California -- Public Internet access / Mailing Lists -------------------------------------------------------------------- To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB ORACLE-L (or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from). You may also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing). -- Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com -- Author: INET: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fat City Network Services -- (858) 538-5051 FAX: (858) 538-5051 San Diego, California -- Public Internet access / Mailing Lists -------------------------------------------------------------------- To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB ORACLE-L (or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from). You may also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing).