while loop ending after calling a function

Question

I'm trying to create a prime factorization function (recursively), my issue is that the while loop ends after calling the function itself.

Code:

primeFactors(){
    if isPrime $1; then
        echo "$1"
    else
        i=2
        sqrtnum=`echo "sqrt($1)"|bc`
        while [ $i -lt $sqrtnum ]
        do
            echo "I: $i sqr: $sqrtnum"
            j=$(($1%i))
            if isPrime $i && [ $j -eq 0 ]
            then
                echo "$i"
                num=$(($1/$i))
                primeFactors $num
            fi
            let i++
        done
    fi
}

The output is this

I: 2 sqr: 10
2
I: 2 sqr: 7
2
I: 2 sqr: 5
I: 3 sqr 5
I: 4 sqr 5

Etan Reisner · Accepted Answer · 2015-10-21 15:56:01Z

3

Your variables are global.

Later function calls override earlier assignments.

You need to make the variables local.

Add set -x to the top of your script to see what is actually being run.

answered Oct 21, 2015 at 15:56

Etan Reisner

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