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Full Discussion: Handling filenames with spaces
Top Forums Shell Programming and Scripting Handling filenames with spaces Post 303023827 by Ralph on Sunday 23rd of September 2018 12:18:37 PM
Old 09-23-2018
Handling filenames with spaces
I'm trying to handle some files with spaces in their name using "" or \ . Like "file 1" or file\ 1.

My current confusion can be expressed by the following shell script:
Code:
#!/bin/bash

touch "file 1" "file 2"
echo -n "ls: " ; ls

echo ---

for file in "file 1" "file 2" ; do 
  echo $file 
done

echo ---
filesToShow=`ls -Q`
echo filesToShow=$filesToShow     #shows filesToShow:"file 1" "file 2" on the screen
echo ---


for file in $filesToShow ; do
   echo $file
done

I create two files whose names have a space in it. Then I list the directory. Files exist.

Then I echo the filenames to the screen using a for-loop with "file 1" "file 2" as the list. That results as expected in two separate lines with the filenames.

Then I list the directory using ls -Q and save the output in the variable filesToShow and echo the variable to the screen. Result: filesToShow="file 1" "file 2"

Then I use another for-loop providing the list via that variable. The result is that the filenames are split into two parts even though they are enclosed in double quotes. Hence I can't do anything with the files like cp or mv. However, cp * .. works, for example.

(I also tried to use ls -b.)

What am I missing?
Last edited by Ralph; 09-23-2018 at 01:25 PM.. Reason: clarification
 

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LEARN ABOUT SUNOS

echo

echo(3XCURSES)						  X/Open Curses Library Functions					    echo(3XCURSES)

NAME

       echo, noecho - enable/disable terminal echo

SYNOPSIS

       cc [ flag... ] file... -I /usr/xpg4/include -L /usr/xpg4/lib 
       -R /usr/xpg4/lib -lcurses [ library... ]

       c89 [ flag... ] file... -lcurses [ library... ]

       #include <curses.h>

       int echo(void);

       int noecho(void);

DESCRIPTION

       The  echo()  function enables Echo mode for the current screen. The noecho() function disables Echo mode for the current screen. Initially,
       curses software echo mode is enabled and hardware echo mode of the tty driver is disabled. The echo() and noecho() functions control  soft-
       ware echo only. Hardware echo must remain disabled for the duration of the application, else the behavior is undefined.

RETURN VALUES

       Upon successful completion, these functions return OK. Otherwise, they return ERR.

ERRORS

       No errors are defined.

ATTRIBUTES

       See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:

       +-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
       |      ATTRIBUTE TYPE	     |	    ATTRIBUTE VALUE	   |
       +-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
       |Interface Stability	     |Standard			   |
       +-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
       |MT-Level		     |Unsafe			   |
       +-----------------------------+-----------------------------+

SEE ALSO

       getch(3XCURSES), getstr(3XCURSES), initscr(3XCURSES), libcurses(3XCURSES), scanw(3XCURSES), attributes(5), standards(5)

SunOS 5.10							    5 Jun 2002							    echo(3XCURSES)
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