[SOLVED] Using tilde and spaces

youarefunny · 05-26-2010, 08:31 PM

I'm trying to use a tilde '~' for a filename. This works fine normally

Code:

rm ~/File

But when I have a file with a space in in and enclose it in quotes it takes it literally.

Code:

rm "~/Da File"
rm: cannot remove `~/Da File': No such file or directory

I have tried many things.

Code:

rm ~"/Da File"
rm '~/Da File'
rm $(~/Da File)
rm ~'/Da File'
rm "$(~/Da File)"

But no success. Any help is appreciated thank you.

Solution:

Quote:

Code:

rm ~/"Da File"

Reasons explained in the BASH reference guide (or man bash at your pleasure):

Quote:

If a word begins with an unquoted tilde character (‘~’), all of the characters up to the first unquoted slash (or all characters, if there is no unquoted slash) are considered a tilde-prefix.

AlucardZero · 05-26-2010, 08:49 PM

try $HOME instead of ~

Sergei Steshenko · 05-27-2010, 01:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by youarefunny

I'm trying to use a tilde '~' for a filename. This works fine normally

Code:

rm ~/File

But when I have a file with a space in in and enclose it in quotes it takes it literally.

Code:

rm "~/Da File"
rm: cannot remove `~/Da File': No such file or directory

I have tried many things.

Code:

rm ~"/Da File"
rm '~/Da File'
rm $(~/Da File)
rm ~'/Da File'
rm "$(~/Da File)"

But no success. Any help is appreciated thank you.

Here is a (probably an overkill) hint for you:

Code:

echo `echo ~`/'Da File'

.

Rather,

Code:

echo "'"`echo ~`/'Da File'"'"

.

colucix · 05-27-2010, 01:44 AM

You missed

Code:

rm ~/"Da File"

Reasons explained in the BASH reference guide (or man bash at your pleasure):

Quote:

If a word begins with an unquoted tilde character (‘~’), all of the characters up to the first unquoted slash (or all characters, if there is no unquoted slash) are considered a tilde-prefix.

pixellany · 05-27-2010, 08:56 AM

Move to Linux-General (Not strictly a programming question)

It seems that ~ expands to $HOME, but only when not quoted?

colucix · 05-27-2010, 10:38 AM

Yes. If enclosed in double quotes ~ retains its literal meaning. If not quoted, bash performs tilde expansion and considers the tilde-prefix up to the first unquoted /. This means that in commands like

Code:

ls ~user/directory/*.png"
ls ~user/"dir with spaces"/*.ps"
ls ~user

~user is the tilde-prefix expanded to the user's home, whereas in

Code:

ls ~"user"
ls ~"/dir with spaces"

nothing is treated as a tilde-prefix and therefore there isn't any tilde expansion.