Variable Quoting

Ok I found out how to prevent it for separating the words as different

arguments. I need to encapsulate the variable with quotes.

How ever I am needing to do this with the cp command. When I try double quoting a path with spaces in it for cp I get an error. If I make the string somevariable="somediretory/somesubdirectory/some\
directory\ with\ spaces/*" Then when substition takes place cp $somevarable $somedestination
Then it should read
cp /somedirectory/somesubdirectory/some\ directory\ with\ spaces/*

This is correct syntax for cp and if I type it out or use file name completion that is the format the shell uses. However when done this

I also get an error.

It appears that substition is taking place but it is handling the escape sequence wrong.

Now with this change
string="My Documents/*"
cp "$string" /tmp

cp: cannot stat 'My Documents/*':no such file or directory

So then I for kicks I tried.

cp "My Documents/*" /tmp
Produces the same error.

So just to make sure that it was not a typo in path I tried. cp My\ Documents/* /tmp

And this worked.

So is the problem with cp? Since the same syntax seems to work with all other apps?
Is cp not capable of taking a double quoted path with spaces?

Redhat 7.3 in case it helps.

Now with this change
string="My Documents/*"
cp "$string" /tmp

cp: cannot stat 'My Documents/*':no such file or directory

So then I for kicks I tried.

cp "My Documents/*" /tmp
Produces the same error.

So just to make sure that it was not a typo in path I tried. cp My\
Documents/* /tmp

And this worked.

So is the problem with cp? Since the same syntax seems to work with all other apps? Is cp not capable of taking a double quoted path with spaces?

Redhat 7.3 in case it helps.

Ok I lied. I understand why its not working but how should I workaround it?
Do I have to have my script gather a list of the files and the pass it the variable?
That sucks that I can not use a wildcard to just get all.

I have made these changes. Which I though would fix my problem. string="My Documents/"
cp "${string}*" Which I thought would eliminate the problem. I guess I am not understanding.

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of James Mohr
Sent: Monday, October 14, 2002 3:58 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Variable Quoting

On Monday 14 October 2002 20:38, Paul Kraus wrote:
<SNIP>

Quoted 5 lines

Now with this change
string="My Documents/*"
cp "$string" /tmp

cp: cannot stat 'My Documents/*':no such file or directory

Sure because the token that is passed to the cp command includes the asterisk,
it doesn't know that it should expand the asterisk (*) to the file names, so
it looks for a file with the literal name '*'.

Quoted 4 lines

So then I for kicks I tried.

cp "My Documents/*" /tmp
Produces the same error.

Same thing.

Quoted 5 lines

So just to make sure that it was not a typo in path I tried. cp My\
Documents/* /tmp

And this worked.

Makes sense as the shell is now expanding the asterisks to the names of the
files. You don't see this because it is expanded internally. Create a shell
script that just does this copy and put "set -x" on the first list. This

should show you the expanded form before it is passed to cp.

Quoted 3 lines

So is the problem with cp? Since the same syntax seems to work with all other apps? Is cp not capable of taking a double quoted path with spaces?

No, it is the fact that cp does not know to expand the asterisk. Plus you are
passing different things to the cp depending on what sets of quotes you use.

Quoted 1 line

Redhat 7.3 in case it helps.

Actually the Linux distriubtion is pretty irrelevant in this case. In fact the
behavior would be the same on most any *NIX system, as it is standard shell
stuff.

See if these explain more of the details for you:

http://www.linux-tutorial.info/cgi-bin/display.pl?20&0&0&0&3
http://www.linux-tutorial.info/cgi-bin/display.pl?22&0&0&0&3

regards,

jimmo

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Path="My Documents/"
for FILENAME in ls "${Path}"
do

     cp "${Path}${Filename}" "/tmp"

done

Quoted 6 lines · Paul Furness

Path="My Documents/"
for FILENAME in ls "${Path}"
do

     cp "${Path}${Filename}" "/tmp"

done

I think you mean:
----------------------------------
Path="My Documents/"
for FILENAME in ls "${Path}"
do

    cp "${Path}${FILENAME}" "/tmp"

done
----------------------------------
Note the changes in lines two and four.

Cheers,
Steven

______________________________
http://www.volny.cz/basiclinux

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More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at http://www.linux-learn.org/faqs

Now with this change
string="My Documents/*"
cp "$string" /tmp

cp: cannot stat 'My Documents/*':no such file or directory

So then I for kicks I tried.

cp "My Documents/*" /tmp
Produces the same error.

So just to make sure that it was not a typo in path I tried. cp My\
Documents/* /tmp

And this worked.

So is the problem with cp? Since the same syntax seems to work with all other apps? Is cp not capable of taking a double quoted path with spaces?

Redhat 7.3 in case it helps.

GOT IT!!!

Cp "$variable"*

Thanks again!

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of James Mohr
Sent: Monday, October 14, 2002 3:58 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Variable Quoting

On Monday 14 October 2002 20:38, Paul Kraus wrote:
<SNIP>

Quoted 5 lines

Now with this change
string="My Documents/*"
cp "$string" /tmp

cp: cannot stat 'My Documents/*':no such file or directory

Sure because the token that is passed to the cp command includes the asterisk,
it doesn't know that it should expand the asterisk (*) to the file names, so
it looks for a file with the literal name '*'.

Quoted 4 lines

So then I for kicks I tried.

cp "My Documents/*" /tmp
Produces the same error.

Same thing.

Quoted 4 lines

So just to make sure that it was not a typo in path I tried. cp My\
Documents/* /tmp

And this worked.

Makes sense as the shell is now expanding the asterisks to the names of the
files. You don't see this because it is expanded internally. Create a shell
script that just does this copy and put "set -x" on the first list. This

should show you the expanded form before it is passed to cp.

Quoted 3 lines

So is the problem with cp? Since the same syntax seems to work with all other apps? Is cp not capable of taking a double quoted path with spaces?

No, it is the fact that cp does not know to expand the asterisk. Plus you are
passing different things to the cp depending on what sets of quotes you use.

Quoted 1 line

Redhat 7.3 in case it helps.

Actually the Linux distriubtion is pretty irrelevant in this case. In fact the
behavior would be the same on most any *NIX system, as it is standard shell
stuff.

See if these explain more of the details for you:

http://www.linux-tutorial.info/cgi-bin/display.pl?20&0&0&0&3
http://www.linux-tutorial.info/cgi-bin/display.pl?22&0&0&0&3

regards,

jimmo