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Populating a BASH array with a list of files including spaces-in-the-name

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Top Forums Shell Programming and Scripting Populating a BASH array with a list of files including spaces-in-the-name
# 1  
Old 04-18-2014
Populating a BASH array with a list of files including spaces-in-the-name
For the record, I already tried telling mgmt and the users to disallow spaces in filenames for this script, but it isn't happening for a number of ID10T-error-based reasons.

I have simple list of 3 files in a directory that are named like this:
Code:
bash-3.2$ ls -1 file*
file1
file1 part2
file1 part3

I tried this cmd to populate the array:
Code:
fileNameArray=( `ls -1 file*` )

However, I get the following results with 5 elements when I try this for-loop,
Code:
for x in ${fileNameArray[@]}
> do
> echo $x
> done
file1
file1
part2
file1
part3


So is there a way I can populate the array so the for-loop gives me 3 elements like this:
Code:
file1
file1 part2
file1 part3

Last edited by Don Cragun; 04-18-2014 at 06:06 PM.. Reason: Change INDENT tags to CODE tags.
# 2  
Old 04-18-2014
Try manipulating the IFS variable:-
Code:
# After the shebang line add something like...
save_ifs="$IFS"
# Just a newline.
IFS="
"
#
# All of your code in here...
#
# 
IFS="$save_ifs"
# exit # IF required with or without a code number...

EDIT:
Not saved IFS here for this demo...
Code:
Last login: Fri Apr 18 21:43:23 on ttys000
AMIGA:barrywalker~> echo "Barry Walker." > /tmp/"file 1" 
AMIGA:barrywalker~> echo "Amateur Radio. " > /tmp/"file 2" 
AMIGA:barrywalker~> echo "G0LCU. " > /tmp/"file 3" 
AMIGA:barrywalker~> IFS="
> "
AMIGA:barrywalker~> fileNameArray=( $(ls /tmp/file*) )
AMIGA:barrywalker~> for x in ${fileNameArray[@]}; do echo "$x"; done
/tmp/file 1
/tmp/file 2
/tmp/file 3
AMIGA:barrywalker~> _

Last edited by wisecracker; 04-18-2014 at 06:48 PM.. Reason: Longhand dem0...
# 3  
Old 04-18-2014
You could also try:
Code:
fileNameArray=( file* )
for x in "${fileNameArray[@]}"
do	printf "%s\n" "$x"
done

PS Note that this will work even in the (absolutely horrendous) case where a filename contains a <newline> character.
Last edited by Don Cragun; 04-18-2014 at 06:24 PM.. Reason: Add PS.
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