UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hi! I'm fairly new to UNIX so don't mention that my question is stupid.

I have many problems with spaces in folders and files names.

Let's say I have the following files:
toto.txt
this is toto.txt

in /usr/local/this is a test/

Why the following commands works:

ls "/usr/local/this is a test/"

but not this one

ls "/usr/local/this is a test/*.txt"

Also, if I have the same 2 files in /usr/local/test/

Why the following commands works

ls /usr/local/test/*.txt

but not this one

ls "/usr/local/test/*.txt"

I'm on AIX 5.2 if it can helps

Thanks!

I think I have found the solution. With LS, if you add " " in a filename, UNIX searches for the exact name between the " ".

So if you type: ls "/usr/local/this is a test/*.txt"; UNIX searchez for a file named *.txt (ignoring the wildcard) in /usr/local/this is a test/.

I have try this command: ls "/usr/local/this is a test/"*.txt and now UNIX searches with the wildcard *.

Correct me if my logic is wrong.

Thanks and excuse me for my poor english.

ls /usr/local/this is a test/*.txt

when you give the above command , it is expecting
"this" "is" "a" as files or directory files

and test as directory and trying to list txt files in it.

Since none of them exists, you have problems.


by enclosing them in " ls is listing txt files in "/usr/local/this is a test/"