Re: How test for directory with single quote (') in the name (with find)?

[Dale R. Worley]

Peng Yu <address@hidden> writes:
> /tmp/tryfind$ find . -type f
> ./'/.export
> /tmp/tryfind$ find . -type d -exec sh -c "test -d '{}'/.export" ';' -print
> sh: -c: line 0: unexpected EOF while looking for matching `''
> sh: -c: line 1: syntax error: unexpected end of file

The problem is that you're constructing the string 

     test -d '/.export

and then handing it to sh to execute.  But sh applies complex parsing
rules, and if there's a ' in the string, it is considered a quoting
character.

What you want to do is write

     find . -type d -exec test -d {}/.export ';' -print

When find locates the ' directory, it assembles three strings that form
the command it is to execute:

     test
     -d
     ./'/.export

The nice thing is that find does not put those through sh, but rather
executes the exec() call itself, so when test runs it sees two
arguments:  -d and ./'/.export.  test then gives the answer you expect.

Dale