---
name: "g.ask"
section: "1grass"
platform: "linux"
package: "grass-doc"
version: "6.4.4-1"
release: "Debian 8 (Jessie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/g.ask"
---

# g.ask(1grass)

Prompts the user for the names of GRASS data base files.

## NAME

**g.ask**  - Prompts the user for the names of GRASS data base files.

## KEYWORDS

general, map management

## SYNOPSIS

**g.ask**\
 **g.ask help**\
 **g.ask type**=*string*  \[**prompt**=*"string"*\]  **element**=*string*  \[**desc**=*"string"*\]  **unixfile**=*string*  \[--**verbose**\]  \[--**quiet**\]

### Parameters:

- **type**=*string*

  The type of query\
   Options: *old,new,any,mapset*

- **prompt**=

  The prompt to be displayed to the user

- **element**=*string*

  The database element to be queried

- **desc**=

  A short description of the database element

- **unixfile**=*string*

  The name of a unix file to store the user's response

## DESCRIPTION

*g.ask* is designed for shell scripts that need to prompt the user for the name of a data base file in the user's current GRASS location.  After *g.ask* is invoked with needed parameters, it will query the user for a file name of the specified *type* and *element*.  After the user responds to this query, the program will write four lines to the UNIX output file specified by *unixfile*.

## OUTPUT

Upon receiving the user's response to its request for a file name, *g.ask* writes four lines to the specified *unixfile*; this output file is placed in the user's current working directory, unless otherwise specified, and contains the following lines:\
 `name='`*some\_name*'\
 mapset='*some\_mapset*'\
 fullname='*some\_fullname*'\
 file='*some\_fullpath*'\

The output is */bin/sh* commands to set the variable *name* to the file name specified by the user (of the *element* and *type* requested by *g.ask*), *mapset* to the GRASS mapset in which this file resides (or will be created), *fullname* is the name with the mapset embedded in it, and *file* to the full UNIX path name identifying this file.  These variables may be set in the */bin/sh* as follows: **. unixfile**

The . is a shell command which means read the *unixfile* and execute the commands found there.  It is NOT part of the *unixfile* name and MUST be followed by a space.

## NOTES

The user may choose to simply hit the return key and not enter a file name. If this happens the variables will be set as follows:\
 `name=`\
 `mapset=`\
 `fullname=`\
 `file=`\

The following is a way to test for this case:\
 `if [ ! "$file" ]`\
 `then`\
\
 `	exit`\
 `fi`\

## SEE ALSO

*d.ask*, *g.filename*, *g.findfile*, *g.gisenv*, *g.parser*

## AUTHOR

Michael Shapiro, U.S.Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory

*Last changed: $Date: 2011-11-08 12:29:50 +0100 (Tue, 08 Nov 2011) $*

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