Creating directory with spaces in script

pedja1 · 01-20-2012, 09:50 AM

Hi,
Im trying to make directory that contain spaces in name inside script. For example:

Code:

mkdir /home/$dir

and variable $dir is loaded from file that contains multiple lines eg:

Code:

bla bla
thr ljlj
asd kjasd ksjad

And when i execute script it creates dir with only first part of the line in the file.
I have also tryed to comment variable $dir but then i get:

Code:

mkdir: cant create directory /home/bla bla Invalid Argument

Spaces needs to be there so please dont tell me not to use them
Thanks in advance

acid_kewpie · 01-20-2012, 10:32 AM

just put the directory name in double quotes. the variable will be expanded still as long as they are double, not single, quotes.

lithos · 01-20-2012, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acid_kewpie

just put the directory name in double quotes. the variable will be expanded still as long as they are double, not single, quotes.

which would result in the command:

Code:

mkdir /home/"$dir"

i think,

or you can first define

Code:

DIR='"bla bla"'

Janus_Hyperion · 01-20-2012, 10:56 AM

Alternatively, '\' could be used between the names.

Code:

 mkdir bla\ bla

pedja1 · 01-20-2012, 11:38 AM

I cant use

Code:

DIR='"bla bla"'

or

Code:

mkdir bla\ bla

because value bla bla is not inside script its in external file which cant be edited
quoting variable $dir works but now i have different problem

some of the lines in file have aditional space after last word and that is the problem
is there a way to solve this

Cedrik · 01-20-2012, 11:52 AM

You could use echo to remove space after the last word, like

Code:

dir=$(echo $dir)

TB0ne · 01-20-2012, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pedja1

I cant use

Code:

DIR='"bla bla"'

or

Code:

mkdir bla\ bla

because value bla bla is not inside script its in external file which cant be edited quoting variable $dir works but now i have different problem
some of the lines in file have aditional space after last word and that is the problem is there a way to solve this

Use sed in your bash script to 'sanitize' the variable before you use it:
http://tldp.org/LDP/abs/html/x22860.html#AEN22890

For example:

Code:

sed -e "s/ /\\/g" $dir

would replace the spaces with a "\", which the mkdir command would accept. You can even put another sed line after this, to remove the trailing spaces.

pedja1 · 01-20-2012, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cedrik

You could use echo to remove space after the last word, like

Code:

dir=$(echo $dir)

This worked, thanks a lot
thank you all for help

acid_kewpie · 01-20-2012, 04:52 PM

far too much thinking going on here, I just meant

Code:

mkdir "/home/$dir"

nothing more than that.