title: bash shell script concatenate string with period char
body: <p>I am trying to create following string</p>
  
  <pre><code>Beta-3.8.0
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>but shell script always omits the <code>.</code> period char no matter what I do. </p>
  
  <pre><code>echo "$readVersion"
  
  if [ -z $readVersion ]
  then
      echo "readVersion is empty"
      exit 1
  fi;
  
  IFS=.
  set $readVersion
  newVersion=$(echo "$2 + 1" | bc)
  newBranch="Beta-$1.$newVersion.$3"
  echo $newBranch
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>prints:<br>
  <strong>3.8.0<br>
  Beta-3 9 0</strong></p>
  
  <p>I have also tried</p>
  
  <pre><code>newBranch='Beta-'$1'.'$newVersion'.'$3
  or
  newBranch="Beta-{$1}.{$newVersion}.{$3}"
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>although this seems printing the right value <code>echo "$1.$newVersion.$3"</code> why not variable doesnt work ?</p>
  
  <p>I need the variable to use later on in the script... </p>