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Error when using certain directory path

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# 1  
Old 03-12-2013
Error when using certain directory path
Hi, I am using the following code to check if directory is empty:
Code:
if [ -z `ls $indir/ITC*.zip` ]; then
    echo "There is no files in the input"
 sleep 60
fi

And indir path is:
Code:
/CH_ROOT/PRD/MAIN/INPUT/SDNTL/Interconnect

Only when I am using the above path I get an error "too many arguments". I tried with 10 different directories and it works without any problem. Does anyone know what can be the problem?

Thanks!
# 2  
Old 03-12-2013
It's because of the ARG_MAX limit of your system.
With bash, I would write something like this:

Code:
unset files
shopt -s nullglob
until (( ${#files[@]} )); do
  files=( "$indir"/ITC*.zip )
  printf 'no files in %s\n' "$indir"
  sleep 60
done
shopt -u nullglob
# unset files if you do not need the filenames

This User Gave Thanks to radoulov For This Post:
apenkov
# 3  
Old 03-12-2013
Thanks a lot!
# 4  
Old 03-12-2013
How about:-
Code:
ls $indir | egrep -c "\/ITC.*\.zip$"

This lists all files in the directory and then counts those that match the pattern. I have specified the pattern as starting with a / which I have to escape, hence the preceding \, then the ITC bit, I then have .* to signify any number of characters then .zip$ to finish the line. The . before the zip has also to be escaped as it's a wildcard for a single character.


I hope that this helps,

Robin
Liverpool/Blackburn
UK
This User Gave Thanks to rbatte1 For This Post:
apenkov
# 5  
Old 03-12-2013
EDIT: The above solution involves external commands and in this case it could be avoided.

You could get rid of the files array by using the code below:
Code:
shopt -s nullglob
while :; do
  set -- "$indir"/ITC*.zip
  (( ${#@} )) && break
  printf 'no files\n'
  sleep 60
done
shopt -u nullglob

Last edited by radoulov; 03-12-2013 at 10:49 AM..
This User Gave Thanks to radoulov For This Post:
apenkov
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