Question: I'm trying to configure a file with a bash script. And the variables in the bash script are not written in file as it is written in script.

Ex:

```
#!/bin/bash

printf "%s" "template("$DATE\t$HOST\t$PRIORITY\t$MSG\n")" >> /file.txt

exit 0

```

This results to template('tttn') instead of template("$DATE\t$HOST\t$PRIORITY\t$MSG\n in file.

How do I write in the script so that the result is template("$DATE\t$HOST\t$PRIORITY\t$MSG\n in the configured file? 

Is it possible to write variable as it looks in script to file?

Answer: 
Enclose the strings you want to write within single quotes to avoid variable replacement.

```
> FOO=bar
> echo "$FOO"
bar
> echo '$FOO'
$FOO
> 

```
Using `printf` in any shell script is uncommon, just use `echo` with the `-e` option.
It allows you to use ANSI C metacharacters, like `\t` or `\n`. The `\n` at the end however isn't necessary, as `echo` will add one itself. 

```
echo -e "template(${DATE}\t${HOST}\t${PRIORITY}\t${MSG})" >> file.txt

```

The problem with what you've written is, that ANSI C metacharacters, like `\t` can only be used in the *first* parameter to `printf`.

So it would have to be something like:

```
printf 'template(%s\t%s\t%s\t%s)\n' ${DATE} ${HOST} ${PRIORITY} ${MSG} >> file.txt

```

But I hope we both agree, that this is very hard on the eyes.