How to remove last n characters from a string in Bash?

Question

I have a variable var in a Bash script holding a string, like:

echo $var
\"some string.rtf\"

I want to remove the last 4 chara

Answer 1

Using Variable expansion/Substring replacement:

${var/%Pattern/Replacement}

If suffix of var matches Pattern, then substitute Replacement for Pattern.

So you can do:

~$ echo ${var/%????/}
some string

Alternatively,

If you have always the same 4 letters

~$ echo ${var/.rtf/}
some string

If it's always ending in .xyz:

~$ echo ${var%.*}
some string

You can also use the length of the string:

~$ len=${#var}
~$ echo ${var::len-4}
some string

or simply echo ${var::-4}