lupo@gentoo-laptop /tmp % cat test.sh
#!/bin/bash
VAR=mount
echo ${VAR}
lupo@gentoo-laptop /tmp % ./test.sh
mount

$ S="STRING list" echo ${S:0:3}
STR

while read "i"; do
    length=$(expr length "$i")
    SpcNumb=`expr index "$i" " "`
    word1=$i:0:$SpcNumb
    echo "$word1";
    echo "length: $length"
done < "$1"

:0:0
length: 0
The purpose of the /mnt directory is to provide a place for the admin to:0:4
length: 72
mount block device temporarily.  Any of the subdirectories of /mnt may be:0:6
length: 73
used, or volumes may even be mounted directly on /mnt (which is the:0:6
length: 67
traditional way of doing things, though /mnt/tmp is also provided for:0:12
length: 69
the purpose of mounting any kind of volume temporarily).:0:4
length: 56
:0:0
length: 0
See the /media directory also.:0:4
length: 30
:0:0
length: 0

#!/bin/bash
ted="dfvg gfgf fgf"
foo="1"
echo $ted|awk -v var=$foo '{print $var}'

#!/bin/bash
ted="dfvg gfgf fgf"
foo="1"
echo $ted|awk '{print $'$foo'}'