How to use a heredoc inside a bash function?

Question

Is it possible to insert a heredoc inside a bash function?

The trivial sample below results in an error: ./heredoc_in_function.sh: 10: Syntax error: end of file unexpected (expecting "}")

#!/bin/sh

my_function () {
cat <<HEREDOC
heredoc contents
HEREDOC
}

my_function

---

Environment:

• Ubuntu 11.04 (GNU/Linux 2.6.38-8-server x86_64)
• GNU bash, version 4.2.8(1)-release (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu)

Answer 1

Your code looked fine to me, so I copied it line for line and it worked for me on:

• OSX 10.7, bash 3.2.48(1)-release (x86_64-apple-darwin11).
• Ubuntu 10.04.3, bash 4.1.5(1)-release (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu)

Is it possible for you to retype the file by hand just to make sure you aren't missing or adding spaces/tabs/etc?

Also, how are you executing it? I did a chmod +x test.sh and then ./test.sh

EDIT: I received the same error as you when I added a space at the beginning of the line with the closing HEREDOC.