[root@test temp]# var="This is a line of text"
[root@test temp]# echo ${var/line/REPLACED}
This is a REPLACED of text
[root@test temp]# string=abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
[root@test temp]# echo ${string:4}
efghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
[root@test temp]# echo ${string:4:8}
efghijkl
[root@test temp]# echo ${string:(-1)}
z
[root@test temp]# echo ${string:(-2)}
yz
[root@test temp]#