UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

I am not able to understand below line in unix bash shell.Could anyone explain what it will do

Code:

result="${path1}/*${var1}*${var2}*wssreligibleitem*.csv"

path1 is defined and it is a directory path
var1 is defined and it holds string value like abc
var2 is defined and it holds string value like cde
Basically i did not understand the importance of /* and * .I have highlight in bolt

What happens if you echothat?

Code:

echo ${path1}/*${path2}*${var1}*wssreligibleitem*.csv

It is nice that you told us (twice) that $path1 expands to a directory path. It would be nice if you told us how path2 is defined. I don't understand why you're saying that you do not understand the importance of /*,* since that string does not appear anywhere in the assignment statement you showed us???

Presumably after you go to the effort to define the variable result you use it somewhere later in your code. How is it used?

The echo RudiC suggested might not help much since the string is quoted in the definition and unquoted in the echo.

@Don Cragun


I have done some changes in my orginal post and could you please clarify now

In the script we are using in a loop `ls $result`

And you have your answer:
What is the output of:

Code:

 ls $result

Or, for that matter, echo $result

The filename matching pattern /* matches a literal / character in a pathname followed by any string of zero or more characters other than / except that the * will not match a period (.) if it is the first character in a pathname or the first character following a / in a pathname.

The filename matching pattern * any matches any string of zero or more characters other than / except that the * will not match a period (.) if it is the first character in a pathname or the first character following a / in a pathname.