Bad array subscript while splitting a string in bash

Question

I am trying to split a string using IFS looking at examples provided at many places. I want to get last element of the array after split, I am doing following to achieve goal :

    path_to_file="/home/user/path/to/fileName.txt";
    IFS='/' read -ra split_path <<< "$path_to_file";
    file_name="${split_path[-1]}";

It gives the whole string separated by space in a single element in the array. When I run the last command I get error message saying "-bash: split_path: bad array subscript". What I am doing wrong which is not giving me separated elements in different index of array.

tripleee · Accepted Answer · 2016-08-15 09:50:14Z

5

Bash 3.x does not understand -1 to mean the last element of an array. You want

echo "${split_path[${#split_path[@]}-1]}"

Notice also the quoting.

As others have pointed out, basename might be a better run for your money, or ${path_to_file##*/}

edited Aug 15, 2016 at 9:50

answered Aug 15, 2016 at 9:37

tripleee

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3 Comments

Petr Skocik Over a year ago

${path_to_file##*/}. -1 should work in newer bash versions though. (It works for me in 4.3.11)

tripleee Over a year ago

@PSkocik Thanks for the corrections. Yeah, this is Bash 3, which I imagine is what the OP is struggling with.

Prometheus Over a year ago

Although my Bash version is 4.1.2. Your answer is what I am looking for.

Mustafa DOGRU · Accepted Answer · 2016-08-15 09:24:38Z

1

with basename ;

path_to_file="/home/user/path/to/fileName.txt";
file_name=$(basename "$path_to_file")
echo $file_name

with awk;

path_to_file="/home/user/path/to/fileName.txt";
file_name=$(echo $path_to_file | awk -F / '{print $NF}') 
echo $file_name

or while loop ;

path_to_file="/home/user/path/to/fileName.txt";
while IFS='/' read -ra split_path ; do
file_name="${split_path[-1]}";
echo $file_name
done <<<$path_to_file

edited Aug 15, 2016 at 9:24

answered Aug 15, 2016 at 9:18

Mustafa DOGRU

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1 Comment

tripleee Over a year ago

Variables which contain file names should always be in double quotes.

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