Read a variable in bash with a default value

Question

I need to read a value from the terminal in a bash script. I would like to be able to provide a default value that the user can change.

# Please enter your          


        

Answer 1

In Bash 4:

name="Ricardo"
read -e -i "$name" -p "Please enter your name: " input
name="${input:-$name}"

This displays the name after the prompt like this:

Please enter your name: Ricardo

with the cursor at the end of the name and allows the user to edit it. The last line is optional and forces the name to be the original default if the user erases the input or default (submitting a null).