You want to safely reference an optional variable path in a bash script with set -u enabled. Which method prevents errors if path is unset?

hard🚀 Application Q8 of 15

Bash Scripting - Error Handling

You want to safely reference an optional variable path in a bash script with set -u enabled. Which method prevents errors if path is unset?

#!/bin/bash
set -u

echo "Path is: ???"

Aunset path; echo "Path is: $path"

Becho "Path is: $path"

Cecho "Path is: ${path:-/default/path}"

Dset +u; echo "Path is: $path"

Step-by-Step Solution

Solution:

Step 1: Identify the problem
Referencing $path directly causes an error if unset with set -u.
Step 2: Use default value expansion
Use ${path:-/default/path} to provide a fallback value.
Final Answer:
echo "Path is: ${path:-/default/path}" -> Option C
Quick Check:
Use ${var:-default} to avoid unset variable errors [OK]

Quick Trick: Use ${var:-default} to handle optional variables safely [OK]

Common Mistakes:

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