I'm writing a set of shell scripts to do various things, and I want the
main one to call a script at the top which will set various preference
values:

-----------
#! /bin/sh
# main script

.prefs           # load in prefs file

echo web server = $webServer    # $webServer set in .prefs

-----------

-----------
#! /bin/sh
# prefs file

webServer= http://www.**-**.com/     #initialise variable
-----------

The variable is set within the prefs file but seems to have local scope
ie. I cannot use it in the main file (it does not get displayed by the
echo statement). Is there a way to make the variables declared in .prefs
have global scope?

You should call the .prefs script as follows:

. .prefs

this will execute the script .prefs within the same shell environment of
the caller script  and not in a new shell, so the variables set in .prefs
will be set in the main script as well.

*fabio*

The "prefs" file is _included_ here, not called. BTW, you forgot a space
between . and prefs.

You should remove this line, since the file is included in the mail file.

--
    Thomas

Volleyball: http://www.stud.fernuni-hagen.de/q5100380