Python Adventures

Problem
You want to embed Python code inside a Bash script.

Solution
Here is a possible solution:

#!/usr/bin/bash

# name.sh

# Example:
# Write a bash script that has one parameter: your name.
# It prints every second character of your name.

TFILE="`basename $0`.$$.py"

cat <<END >$TFILE
#!/usr/bin/env python

import re
import sys

bash_name = re.sub(r'\.\d+\.py', '', sys.argv[0])

def process(s):
    print s[::2]

def main():
    if len(sys.argv) > 1:
        process(sys.argv[1])
    else:
        print "Usage: {0} <parameter>".format(bash_name)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()
END

chmod u+x $TFILE
./$TFILE "$@"
/bin/rm $TFILE

Usage:

./name.sh Your_Name
Yu_ae    # output