Passing a var thru a file

[228-4197,ATTT]

In article <1991Jun18.153222.20836 at cid.aes.doe.CA> afsipmh at cidsv01.cid.aes.doe.CA () writes:
>Say i have a file that (just for the sake of this question) contains
>just one word:
>$ENVAR
>
>Say $ENVAR is an environmental variable
>
>What is it about the shell that prevents interpretation:
>
>#!/bin/sh
>var=`cat file`
>echo $var     #gives (literally) $ENVAR
>echo `echo $var`  #also gives (literally) $ENVAR
>-- 
>Pat Hertel                 Canadian Meteorological Centre
>Analyst/Programmer         2121 N. Service Rd.        
>phertel at cmc.aes.doe.ca     Dorval,Quebec             
>Environment Canada         CANADA           H9P1J3

The shell never sees $ENVAR as a variable, only a string of arbitrary
characters.

Try:

var=`cat file`
echo `eval $var`

Bob Rager