bash variable with double-quotes

Question

There is an exported env-variable X:

X="-t \"2 2.1\""

The following command is parsed wrong when using this variable:

yarn jest $X

yarn jest -t '"2' '2.1"'

Instead of:

yarn jest -t "2 2.1"

I have read a-lot of similar questions but none of them worked. Any help?

The variable expands as expected: `-t "2 2.1"`. You have an error in the code that you don't show. — Maxim Egorushkin, Feb 17 '20 at 10:44
@Maxim those quotes aren't syntactical, though, they're just part of two separate strings as shown in the question. — Tom Fenech, Feb 17 '20 at 10:48
there is nothing wrong with the question. there is no error on my mac. — Stav Alfi, Feb 17 '20 at 10:50
@StavAlfi You need to add code that reproduces the issue. `X="-t \"2 2.1\"" echo yarn jest $X` doesn't reproduce what you observe. — Maxim Egorushkin, Feb 17 '20 at 10:52
running `X="-t \"2 2.1\""` and then `yarn jest $X` will reproduce the problem in osx. — Stav Alfi, Feb 17 '20 at 10:53
@Maxim it _does_ reproduce the issue: the problem isn't that the quotes aren't shown in the output of your test case; it is that they are no longer interpreted by the shell as syntax, they are just a character like any other, so `yarn` is passed two arguments instead of one. — Tom Fenech, Feb 17 '20 at 10:55
@StavAlfi some recommended reading (the site is very helpful in general) https://mywiki.wooledge.org/BashFAQ/050 — Tom Fenech, Feb 17 '20 at 10:56

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 17 '20 at 10:44

2

Consider using shell array for this:

arr=('-t' '2 2.1')

then use it as:

yarn jest "${arr[@]}"

answered Feb 17 '20 at 10:44

anubhava

1

the parsing will be `-t '2 2.1'` and not `-t "2 2.1"` but it is ok for me. – Stav Alfi Feb 17 '20 at 10:48
1

@StavAlfi: it is essentially. same. You can have array as: `arr=("-t" "2 2.1")` also. – anubhava Feb 17 '20 at 10:50
1

@StavAlfi : Both All of `'2 2.1'`, `"2 2.1"` and `2\ 2.1` denote the exactly same 5-character string (consisting of 2, space, 2, period and 1). Where do you see any difference? – user1934428 Feb 17 '20 at 12:28

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 17 '20 at 12:16

0

Try using X="-t '2 2.1'"

Use single quotes inside double quotes instead of using double quotes twice.

Hope this helps

answered Feb 17 '20 at 12:16

Tarique

2 Answers2