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Asked: 2014-09-10 04:47:49 +0800 CST

Write function in one line into ~/.bashrc

  • 772

Why when I try to write a function just in one line into .bashrc file,

list(){ ls -a }

I get error?

bash: /home/username/.bashrc: line num: syntax error: unexpected end of file

but when I write it in multi line it's ok?

list(){
    ls -a
}
scripts

3 Answers

  1. There is a ; needed at the end of the function:

    list(){ ls -a ; }

    should work.

    The syntax of a function definition for bash is specified as 

    name () { list ; }

    Note that it includes a ; that is not part of the list.

    That the ; is required in this place is kind of a syntax anomaly. It is not bash specific, it's the same for ksh, but it the ; is not required in zsh.

    • 49
  2. Best Answer

    Functions in bash are essentially named compound commands (or code blocks). From man bash:

    Compound Commands
   A compound command is one of the following:
   ...
   { list; }
          list  is simply executed in the current shell environment.  list
          must be terminated with a newline or semicolon.  This  is  known
          as  a  group  command. 

...
Shell Function Definitions
   A shell function is an object that is called like a simple command  and
   executes  a  compound  command with a new set of positional parameters.
   ... [C]ommand is usually a list of commands between { and },  but
   may  be  any command listed under Compound Commands above.

    There's no reason given, it's just the syntax.

    Since the list in the one-line function given isn't terminated with a newline or a ;, bash complains.

    • 36

  3. The end of a single command (";") is implied by the newline. In the oneline version } is parsed as an argument to the unterminated ls -a command. Which you can see if you do:

    $ foo(){ echo "a" }
}
$ foo
a }

    See how the command inside the function declaration swallows the trailing curly brace?

    • 21