Re: Whitespace problem with bash script for Icedove

[Mark Neyhart <Mark_Neyhart@legis.state.ak.us>]

Bill M wrote:

> FILES=/home/bill/.icedove/qjimvr85.default/Mail/Local\ 
> Folders/2-Personal.sbd/*
> # or "/home/bill/.icedove/qjimvr85.default/Mail/Local 
> Folders/2-Personal.sbd/*"
> 
> for i in $FILES
> do
>          mv "$i" ""$i".saved"
>          formail -D 65536 .msgid.cache -s < ""$i".saved" > "$i"
> done
> 
> mv: cannot stat `/home/bill/.icedove/qjimvr85.default/Mail/Local': No 
> such file or directory
> ./mailscript: line 10: 
> /home/bill/.icedove/qjimvr85.default/Mail/Local.saved: No such file or 
> directory
> mv: cannot stat `Folders/2-Personal.sbd/*': No such file or directory
> ./mailscript: line 10: Folders/2-Personal.sbd/*.saved: No such file or 
> directory
>

This appears to be related to the default value of the BASH internal
variable $IFS (internal field separator).  It defaults to whitespace,
which includes the space character.  The for loop interprets the space
inside $FILES as a field separator.  Try setting $IFS to ONLY new line
above the for loop.

IFS=$'\n'
for i in $FILES
..
..
..

Mark Neyhart