Wrong parsing of ls command in bash scripting

itz2000 · 04-24-2007, 02:11 PM

lets say I want to do in one folder ls :

Code:

ls | grep -i slackware | head -4
(Ebook)\ -\ Html\ -\ Linux\ Configuration\ &\ Installation\ (Slackware).zip
(ebook)\ -\ Slackware\ Linux\ Unleashed,\ Third\ Edition.zip
(ebook-PDF)\ Slackware\ Linux\ Essentials\ (edonkeylinks.com)\ [f.zip
(ebook-html)\ -\ SAMS\ -\ Slackware\ Linux\ Unleashed\ -\ Kamran\ Hus.zip

for that matter, if I for example want to move all these files to a temp folder, I would have done that :

Code:

zuki@WhiteCastle slackware #for i in $(ls | head -4); do mv $i tmp; done
mv: cannot stat `(Ebook)\\': No such file or directory
mv: invalid option -- \
Try `mv --help' for more information.
mv: cannot stat `Html\\': No such file or directory
mv: invalid option -- \
Try `mv --help' for more information.
mv: cannot stat `Linux\\': No such file or directory
mv: cannot stat `Configuration\\': No such file or directory
mv: cannot stat `&\\': No such file or directory
mv: cannot stat `Installation\\': No such file or directory
mv: cannot stat `(Slackware).zip': No such file or directory
mv: cannot stat `(ebook)\\': No such file or directory
mv: invalid option -- \
Try `mv --help' for more information.
mv: cannot stat `Slackware\\': No such file or directory
mv: cannot stat `Linux\\': No such file or directory
mv: cannot stat `Unleashed,\\': No such file or directory
mv: cannot stat `Third\\': No such file or directory
mv: cannot stat `Edition.zip': No such file or directory
mv: cannot stat `(ebook-PDF)\\': No such file or directory
mv: cannot stat `Slackware\\': No such file or directory
mv: cannot stat `Linux\\': No such file or directory
mv: cannot stat `Essentials\\': No such file or directory
mv: cannot stat `(edonkeylinks.com)\\': No such file or directory
mv: cannot stat `[f.zip': No such file or directory
mv: cannot stat `(ebook-html)\\': No such file or directory
mv: invalid option -- \
Try `mv --help' for more information.
mv: cannot stat `SAMS\\': No such file or directory
mv: invalid option -- \
Try `mv --help' for more information.
mv: cannot stat `Slackware\\': No such file or directory
mv: cannot stat `Linux\\': No such file or directory
mv: cannot stat `Unleashed\\': No such file or directory
mv: invalid option -- \
Try `mv --help' for more information.
mv: cannot stat `Kamran\\': No such file or directory
mv: cannot stat `Hus.zip': No such file or directory

because it doesn't parse the filename correctly.
so I tried ls -N but it's still doesn't parse it correctly :

Code:

zuki@WhiteCastle slackware #for i in $(ls -N | head -4); do echo $i; done
(Ebook)
-
Html
-
Linux
Configuration
&
Installation
(Slackware).zip
(ebook)
-
Slackware
Linux
Unleashed,
Third
Edition.zip
(ebook-PDF)
Slackware
Linux
Essentials
(edonkeylinks.com)
[f.zip
(ebook-html)
-
SAMS
-
Slackware
Linux
Unleashed
-
Kamran
Hus.zip

same for echo "$i"

any solution? it's just an example of why I need this command, I want to use it in my daily bash scripting.

thanks.

ilikejam · 04-24-2007, 03:42 PM

Hi.

Try

Code:

for i in "$(ls)"; do echo "$i"; done

Dave

itz2000 · 04-24-2007, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilikejam

Hi.

Try

Code:

for i in "$(ls)"; do echo "$i"; done

Dave

Thanks! it works/

cfaj · 04-25-2007, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by itz2000

for that matter, if I for example want to move all these files to a temp folder, I would have done that :

Code:

[B]zuki@WhiteCastle slackware #for i in $(ls | head -4); do mv $i tmp

Code:

n=0
for file in *[Ss][Ll][Aa][Cc][Kk][Ww][Aa][Rr][Ee]*
do
  mv "$file" tmp
  n=$(( $n + 1 ))
  [ $n -eq 4 ] && break
done

Or:

Code:

set -- *[Ss][Ll][Aa][Cc][Kk][Ww][Aa][Rr][Ee]*
mv "$1" "$2" "$3" "$4" tmp