[ubuntu-za] Script error

[1.sean.riley]

Jonathan Hitchcock wrote:
> Hi,
>
> On 14 Apr 2009, at 2:20 PM, Alf Stockton wrote:
>   
>> #/bin/dash
>> if [ -f /mnt/backup/mailbackups/*.dotproject.files.tar.gz ]
>>     then
>>     rm /mnt/backup/mailbackups/*.dotproject.files.tar.gz
>> fi
>>
>> and I keep getting the error:-
>>
>> ./DingDong.sh: line 2: [: too many arguments
>>     
>
> When you have a * on a commandline, the shell replaces it with all the  
> files that match that pattern.  So if you have files like the following:
>
> /mnt/backup/mailbackups/foo.dotproject.files.tar.gz
> /mnt/backup/mailbackups/bar.dotproject.files.tar.gz
>
> Then the 'if' statement above will be expanded to the following:
>
> if [ -f /mnt/backup/mailbackups/foo.dotproject.files.tar.gz /mnt/ 
> backup/mailbackups/bar.dotproject.files.tar.gz ]
>
> This happens before the 'if' statement is evaluated.  And, of course,  
> the "-f" test does not take more than one filename as an argument,  
> which is why you're getting the "too many arguments" error.
>
> Basically, you can't use "-f" to test for the existence of "any file  
> matching this pattern".  If you wanted to do that, you would have to  
> do something like evaluating the pattern, storing it in a variable,  
> and testing the length of the variable, or something.
>
> But it seems that all you want to do is remove any files matching that  
> pattern, if they exist.  If that is the case, then just replace the  
> whole thing with:
>
> rm -f /mnt/backup/mailbackups/*.dotproject.files.tar.gz
>
> The '-f' means 'unconditionally', or, in other words "whether they  
> exist or not".
>
>
>   
D'oh,

That is why I subscribe to this list... to correct my faulty\incorrect 
ideas...

Kudos Jonathan