(OS X) Speak and copy the serial number

speak-copy-serial.sh

#!/bin/bash
#----------AUTHOR------------
	# Jacob Salmela
	# 3 December 2013

#----------RESOURCES---------
	# http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12230762/insert-characters-into-a-string-in-bash

#---------DESCRIPTION--------
	# Copies the computers serial number into the clipboard and then speaks it aloud so you can write it down
	# It currently is setup for serial numbers that are 12 digits long

#-----------USAGE------------
	# To run:
	# 
	#		0. Move this script to /usr/bin or /usr/sbin depending on your preference 	 
	#		1. Rename it to something like "snum" so it is easier to call
	#		2. Exit out of your shell session and log back in for it to trigger
	#		3. Run the program by typing snum or /usr/bin/snum
	#		
#----------VARIABLES---------
	# Change this to the voice of your preference
	# I have it default to Samantha, because it is the voice commonly associated with Apple products
	voiceChoice="Samantha"
	
	# This variable parses the system profiler command via awk and prints only the serial number
	serialNum=$(system_profiler SPHardwareDataType | awk '/Serial Number \(system\)/ {print $4}')

	# This variable echos back each character in the serial number, but appends two commas and two elipsises 
	# When the computer speaks the serial number, it interprets the commas and elipsises as an indicator to speak more slowly
	# This makes it easier to hear the number when the Mac speaks it
	serialForSpeech=$(echo ${serialNum:0:1}...,...,\
		${serialNum:1:1}...,...,\
		${serialNum:2:1}...,...,\
		${serialNum:3:1}...,...,\
		${serialNum:4:1}...,...,\
		${serialNum:5:1}...,...,\
		${serialNum:6:1}...,...,\
		${serialNum:7:1}...,...,\
		${serialNum:8:1}...,...,\
		${serialNum:9:1}...,...,\
		${serialNum:10:1}...,...,\
		${serialNum:11:1}...,...,\
		${serialNum:12:1}...,...,)
		
#----------FUNCTIONS---------
#################
function copySN()
	{
	# This echos the serial number and than saves it to the clipboard for easy pasting
	echo $serialNum | pbcopy
	}
	
##################
function speakSN()
	{
	# Say command using the $voiceChoice variable from above
	# Output of this command is sent into the Sarlaac Pit so it doesn't clutter up the screen with unnecessary information
	say -v $voiceChoice "Get ready, I am about to tell you the serial number.  It is $serialForSpeech" &> /dev/null
	}

#--------------------------------
#---------BEGIN SCRIPT-----------
#--------------------------------
copySN
speakSN