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/* /tmp 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 way I also get an error. It appears that substition is taking place but it is handling the escape sequence wrong. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Jim Reimer Sent: Monday, October 14, 2002 12:39 PM To: unlisted-recipients:; no To-header on input Cc: Paul Kraus; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Variable Quoting > ( by the way.... > > you don't have to surround the variable name with braces unless it's > right up against something else, as in > > filename="test" > cp somefile ${test}.txt > > if it's seperated by white space they don't have to be there > > ) oops - my face is red now..... that should have been filename="test" cp somefile $(filename).txt sorry -jdr- - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-newbie" in the body of a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.linux-learn.org/faqs - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-newbie" in the body of a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.linux-learn.org/faqs
