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Paul
Asked: 2011-07-11 04:12:56 +0800 CST

Bash Extended Globbing gives syntax error

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Can anyone explain this:

$ bash
$ shopt -s extglob
$ ls *.(txt|doc)
bash: syntax error near unexpected token `('
$ shopt extglob
extglob         on

This is a debian squeeze install. I am expecting the extglob will interpret the brackets as the beginning of a group.

Thanks,

Paul

linux debian bash

2 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    Because extglob doesn't work that way. You must put one of the modifier characters at the beginning of your pattern list ((txt|doc) in this case), as follows (from man bash):

              ?(pattern-list)
                 Matches zero or one occurrence of the given patterns
          *(pattern-list)
                 Matches zero or more occurrences of the given patterns
          +(pattern-list)
                 Matches one or more occurrences of the given patterns
          @(pattern-list)
                 Matches one of the given patterns
          !(pattern-list)
                 Matches anything except one of the given patterns

    Specifically, ls *.*(txt|doc) produces the behaviour I am guessing you want.

    • 9

  2. You can do this without the extended globbing using brace expansion: ls *.{txt,doc}

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