bash select multiple answers at once -

i have flat file called items want populate select want able choose multiple items @ 1 time.

contents of items file:

cat 1 dog 1 pig 1 cherry 2 apple 2 

basic script:

#!/bin/bash ps3=$'\n\nselect animals like: ' options=$(grep '1' items|grep -v '^#' |awk '{ print $1 }')  select choice in $options   echo "you selected: $choice" done  exit 0 

the way flows can select 1 option @ at time. i'd able answer 1,3 or 1 3 , have respond "you selected: cat pig"

thank you,

tazmarine

you can not such, can record each individual selection:

#!/bin/bash ps3=$'\n\nselect animals like: ' options=$(grep '1' items|grep -v '^#' |awk '{ print $1 }')  # array storing user's choices choices=()  select choice in $options finished   # stop choosing on option   [[ $choice = finished ]] && break   # append choice array   choices+=( "$choice" )   echo "$choice, got it. others?" done  # write out each choice printf "you selected following: " choice in "${choices[@]}"   printf "%s " "$choice" done printf '\n'  exit 0 

here's example interaction:

$ ./myscript 1) cat 2) dog 3) pig 4) finished  select animals like: 3 pig, got it. others?  select animals like: 1 cat, got it. others?  select animals like: 4 selected following: pig cat 

if instead want able write 3 1 on same line, you'll have make own menu loop echo , read