Files containing " $ (and other) characters.

[RetroDesign]

Hi everyone,

I’m here again with my UNIX question on MacScripter instead of some UNIX forum :rolleyes:

Yesterday I had some problems with moving files containing characters like ', $ etc.
That was because I used this kind of script:

do shell script "mv '" & SourceFile & "' '" & DestinationFolder

Which is the same as this script but only shorter:

do shell script "mv " & quoted form of SourceFile & " " & quoted form of DetinationFolder

These 2 scripts both have single quotes ( ’ ), using double quotes ( " ) allows you to move more files…
I tested:

set NotWorking to {}
repeat with i in {"\"", "'", "*", "$", "€", "%", "&", "é", "è", "!", "ç", "à ", "?", "-", "_", "(", ")", "=", "+"}
	try
		do shell script "mkdir \"/My" & i & "s Folder\""
	on error
		set end of NotWorking to i as text
	end try
end repeat
NotWorking

It gave an error while I tried to make a folder containing a " , (or in AppleScript, escaped by a \ → ")
And a * in the file name didn’t gave an error but created a space instead of the *.

Are there work arounds? Are there (dis)advantages of using double quotes instead of single ones? And last but not least, are there other characters that will conflict ? (like the " ) when using double quotes?

I have to move them with shell script, no way I’ll use Finder to move files…

Thanks in advance

[StefanK]

@RetroDesign

Which is the same as this script but only shorter

quoted form of is not the same as just writing single quotes.
Using quoted form of escapes also single quotes reliably.

I recommend to use always quoted form of

[RetroDesign]

Oh, I didn’t know that… oops

It does seem to work with all characters, is that correct?

Thank you

[Bruce_Phillips]

@RetroDesign

It does seem to work with all characters, is that correct?

Technical Note TN2065: do shell script in AppleScript

Q: My command doesn’t work right when a parameter has spaces or certain punctuation ” parentheses, $, *, etc.

A: . you must take special steps to make the shell treat your string . there are several ways to do it, but the simplest and most effective is to use the quoted form property of strings.
.
The quoted form property gives the string in a form that is safe from further interpretation by the shell, no matter what its contents are.

I was quite pleased when Apple added a link to that page under the do shell script command in the Standard Additions dictionary. (It’s also referenced in the Language Guide.)

@StefanK

I recommend to use always quoted form of

Me too!

[RetroDesign]

Ah, I didn’t know there was a difference…

Thanks for the info