Question

I’m just trying to make a simple bash script to make a tree structure and I cannot spot where my logic is wrong. As of now, the script will make it to the second depth but only fills out the first folder in it. Can anyone spot my error(s)?

Thanks

#!/bin/bash

create(){

 directory=$1

 for((j=0; j < depth; j++)); do


  for x in ${directory[@]}; do

    temp=( )

    for((i=0; i < breadth; i++)); do

        mkdir $x/$i 

        temp=($temp $x/$i)

    done    

  done  

    directory=($temp)

 done



}

breadth=3
depth=2

direc=(tree)

create $direc

Answer 1

The problem is that mkdir cannot create multiple levels of directories without the –parents (-p) switch. So on the line:

mkdir $x/$i

it cannot create $x/$i because $x does not exist. Try making this change:

create(){
    directory=$1
    for((j=0; j < depth; j++)); do
        for x in ${directory[@]}; do
            temp=( )
            for((i=0; i < breadth; i++)); do
                mkdir -p $x/$i
                temp=($temp $x/$i)
            done
        done
        directory=($temp)
    done
}


breadth=3
depth=2

direc=(tree)

create $direc

edited based on lotusphp’s more elegant solution