.. include:: ../header.txt

.. _read:

:command:`read`
===========================

.. index:: read

:title:`Linux for Programmers and Users`, Sections 6.3.7

.. program:: read
.. describe:: read

    The ``read`` command is useful for reading data into a variable and as
    the boolean *test* of a :ref:`control`. Like :ref:`test`, ``read`` sets
    the :ref:`exit` to indicate if a value was read. When the end-of-file
    (EOF) character is read, it sets the :ref:`exit` to *false*, so it works
    well with a :ref:`while` when standard input is redirected to read from
    a file.

SYNOPSIS
    :command:`read` variable


Examples::

    echo -n "Please enter your name: "
    read name
    echo "Your name is $name"

::

    while read line
    do
        echo $line
    done