[SOLVED] bash: syntax error near unexpected token `else'

lucmove · 05-10-2010, 03:32 AM

Code:

for i in $(ls -1a); do 
	if	[ "$i" == '.' ] then 
		echo 'one dot'
	elif	[ "$i" == '..' ] then 
		echo 'two dots'
	else
		echo 'yay'
	fi; 
done

bash: syntax error near unexpected token `else'

Why?!!

Yes, I googled. I also searched this forum. Still stumped. How is my code any different from these examples or these examples?

druuna · 05-10-2010, 03:34 AM

Hi,

The then parts are not placed correctly. It should be:

if [ "$i" == '.' ]
then

or

if [ "$i" == '.' ]; then

Hope this helps.

grail · 05-10-2010, 04:07 AM

Quote:

How is my code any different from these examples or these examples?

As druuna has pointed out, all of these examples adhere to the rules mentioned.

tuxdev · 05-10-2010, 10:15 AM

I don't know what exactly you're actually trying to accomplish, but this is certainly wrong:

Code:

for i in $(ls -1a); do

See http://mywiki.wooledge.org/ParsingLs

Also, the Advanced Bash Scripting guide is not an appropriate resource to learn scripting. Use http://mywiki.wooledge.org/BashGuide instead.

lucmove · 05-10-2010, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by druuna

Hi,

The then parts are not placed correctly. It should be:

if [ "$i" == '.' ]
then

or

if [ "$i" == '.' ]; then

Hope this helps.

I disagree with you. There is no semi-colon before the THEN statement. Look:

Code:

luc$[518]test> for i in $(ls -1a); do
> if[ "$i" == '.' ]; then
bash: syntax error near unexpected token `then'

The correct way is without the semi-colon. But something is up with the ELSE statement:

Code:

luc$[519]test> for i in $(ls -1a); do
> if[ "$i" == '.' ] then
> echo 'one dot'
> elif[ "$i" == '..' ] then
> echo 'two dots'
> else
bash: syntax error near unexpected token `else'

luc$[520]test> for i in $(ls -1a); do
> if[ "$i" == '.' ] then echo 'one dot'
> elif[ "$i" == '..' ] then echo 'two dots'
> else
bash: syntax error near unexpected token `else'

luc$[521]test> for i in $(ls -1a); do
> if[ "$i" == '.' ] then echo 'one dot'
> elif[ "$i" == '..' ] then echo 'two dots'
> else echo 'yay'
bash: syntax error near unexpected token `else'

colucix · 05-10-2010, 11:56 AM

Nope. druuna's advice is correct. To put if and then on the same line you have to separate them with semi-colon, that is the same you did with for and do in the first line. The problem in the last examples is that you forgot a space between if and [ and between elif and [. This should work:

Code:

$ for i in $(ls -1a); do
> if [ "$i" == '.' ]; then echo 'one dot'
> elif [ "$i" == '..' ]; then echo 'two dots'
> else echo 'yay'
> fi
> done

druuna · 05-10-2010, 12:04 PM

@lucmove: You confuse the command line with a script. They do not always work the same:

Code:

$ cat foobar
#!/bin/bash

for i in $(ls -1a); do 
        if      [ "$i" == '.' ]
then 
                echo 'one dot'
        elif    [ "$i" == '..' ]
then 
                echo 'two dots'
        else
                echo 'yay'
        fi; 
done


for i in $(ls -1a); do 
        if      [ "$i" == '.' ]; then 
                echo 'one dot'
        elif    [ "$i" == '..' ]; then 
                echo 'two dots'
        else
                echo 'yay'
        fi; 
done

$ ls -la
total 36
drwxr-x---  2 druuna internet  4096 May 10 19:01 .
drwxr-x--- 42 druuna internet 28672 May 10 19:01 ..
-rwxr-x---  1 druuna internet   317 May 10 19:01 foobar


$ ./foobar 
one dot
two dots
yay
one dot
two dots
yay

Both my solutions work as expected.

Hope this clears things up.

Beaten to it by colucix

lucmove · 05-10-2010, 02:23 PM

Ok, problem solved. The problem was I had used tab instead of space before the brackets. Thanks to all.

grail · 05-10-2010, 08:30 PM

@OP - So just to confirm, you are saying that the following code works?

Code:

if [ "$i" == '.' ] then
    echo 'one dot'
fi

If so, I would like to write to the authors of such pages as - http://tldp.org/LDP/abs/html/testconstructs.html
And ask them why the misleading quote below?

Quote:

When if and then are on same line in a condition test, a semicolon must terminate the if statement. Both if and then are keywords. Keywords (or commands) begin statements, and before a new statement on the same line begins, the old one must terminate.

lucmove · 05-10-2010, 09:03 PM

No, that code doesn't work. My mistake has been found, the code has been corrected, the problem is solved.