Question

I have a Bash script that calls another Bash script. The called script does some modification and checking on a few things, shifts, and then passes the rest of the caller’s command line through.

In the called script, I have verified that I have everything managed and ready to call. Here’s some debug-style code I’ve put in:

echo $SVN $command $@ > /tmp/shimcmd
bash /tmp/shimcmd
$SVN $command $@

Now, in /tmp/shimcmd you’ll see:

svn commit --username=myuser --password=mypass --non-interactive --trust-server-cert -m "Auto Update autocommit Wed Apr 11 17:33:37 CDT 2012"

That is, the built command, all on one line, perfectly fine, including a -m “my string with spaces” portion.

It’s perfect. And the “bash /tmp/shimcmd” execution of it works perfectly as well.

But of course I don’t want this silly tmp file and such (only used it to debug). The problem is that calling the command directly, instead of via the shim file:

$SVN $command $@

results in the svn command itself NOT receiving the quoted string with spaces–it garbles the ‘-m “my string with spaces”‘ parameter and shanks the command as if it was passed as ‘-m my string with spaces’.

I have tried all manner of crazy escape methods to no avail. Can’t believe it’s dogging me this badly. Again, by echoing the very same thing ($SVN $command $@) to a file and then executing that file, it’s FINE. But calling directly garbles the quoted string. That element alone shanks.

Any ideas?

Dan

Answer 1

Did you try:

eval "$SVN $command $@"

?