I have several ini files that I need to edit some have multiple file names that need to be added and some only have one name. the format is very specific in order for the program to work-- this is where my problem lies. If a file has only one name -- then one name is listed with no comma at the end. If a file has multiple names-- then each name is listed with a comma at the end except for the last name. example: xxCount=1 xlCount=3 COUNTRY1='xx xl" DIRS="$COUNTRY1" for i in $DIRS do cd $PATH/$i eval dirCount=\$${i}Count echo $dirCount x=1 While [ $x -le $dirCount ] do if [ $x -eq 1 ] then outText="${i}_${x}.txt," else outText=$outText\n${i}_${x}.txt," fi x=`expr "$x" + 1` done ed - ${i}_test.txt << end-of-script /data.txt/c `echo $GEF$outText` . w end-of-script what I am getting is this in xx_test.txt I am getting this xx_1.txt, do not want a comma since it is only one file should be xx_1.txt in xl_test.txt I am getting this xl_1.txt, xl_2.txt, xl_3.txt, do not want a comma after xl_3.txt since this is the last file should be xl_1.txt, xl_2.txt, xl_3.txt what am I doing wrong with the commas-- only need them if there are multiples but the last one needs not to have a comma. thanks using unix or linux

Try changing your if statement as follows: if [ $x -eq 1 ] then outText="${i}_${x}.txt" else outText="$outText,\n${i}_${x}.txt" fi That is, remove the comma that was at the end of the outText=... statement in the 'then' clause, and move the comma in the 'else' clause from the end of the line to right before the linefeed (\n).