bash - repeat function with different arguments if one variable within the function is empty -

the function has check if target empty, , if empty want repeated time c1time=$hours:$minutes:[0-9][0-9] run it, , if still empty c1time=$hours:$c1minutes[0-9]:[0-9][0-9] after should stop , echo info.

$1 standard logfile errors

$time string time in pattern hh:mm:ss sorry if confusing, i'm appreciate help

what function in detail:
first takes random time example 12:34:56 , reads "5" in c1seconds, c1time 12:34:5[0-9]
target tries find line string of c1time located in logfile , prints number of line.
c1date changes 12:34:5[0-9] in found time 12:34:56 example.
rest unimportant

like said above when target empty has run again, how can check target while or after function executed?

  function check() {          c1seconds=`echo $time | awk '{print substr ($1,7,8)}' | head -1c`     c1time=$hours:$minutes:$c1seconds[0-9]     target=`cat -n $1 | grep "$c1time" | awk '{printf "%s\n",$1}' | awk 'sub("$", "")'| head -1`     c1date=`cat $1 | grep "$c1time" | grep -eo "[0-9]{1,2}:[0-9]{1,2}:[0-9]{1,2}" | head -1`     exception=`tail -$[$window_lines-$target] $1 | grep -c exception`     error=`tail -$[$window_lines-$target] $1 | grep -c error`     semaphore=`tail -$[$window_lines-$target]  $1| grep -c semaphore`     echo $target     return 0   } 

well can use recursion. keep level=0 @ global level , call function again.

level=0; function check() { 

now instead of

c1time=$hours:$minutes:$c1seconds[0-9] 

use

if [ $level -eq 0 ]; c1time=$hours:$minutes:$c1seconds[0-9]; fi if [ $level -eq 1 ]; c1time=$hours:$minutes:[0-9][0-9]; fi if [ $level -eq 2 ]; c1time=$hours:$c1minutes[0-9]:[0-9][0-9]; fi if [ $level -ge 2 ]; echo "error"; exit; fi 

now instead of

target=`cat -n $1 | grep "$c1time" | awk '{printf "%s\n",$1}' | awk 'sub("$", "")'| head -1` 

use

target=`cat -n $1 | grep "$c1time" | awk '{printf "%s\n",$1}' | awk 'sub("$", "")'| head -1` if [ "x$target" = "x" ]; ((level++)); check $@; fi 

i have not run typos may there, main idea number of recursion , checks @ max 3, use simple if check depth of recursion. can modify series of if if else. if grep can open file, why cat file , pipe it, , if awk can search pattern in file, why cat file | grep pattern before it?