Function that swaps the filenames of two given files.

flipf(){ if [ -f "$1" -a -f "$2" ]; then mv "$1" "$1.$$" && mv "$2" "$1" && mv "$1.$$" "$2" || echo "$!"; else echo "Missing a file: $!"; fi; }
(Changed to "bartonskis" suggestion.)

-1
By: Void42
2010-12-16 10:38:28
echo mv mv function swap
4
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What Others Think

does not account for spaces etc in filenames or if one command fails (use && instead)
bashrc · 782 weeks ago
Ok, changed it. Now it works with spaces in filenames and checks if files exist.
Void42 · 782 weeks ago
I think that you can leave out '&& echo "Success"'... we expect not to see anything if it works. The warning message could be more descriptive, and should include "$!" I think that I would write this as flipf(){ if [ -f "$1" -a -f "$2" ]; then mv "$1" "$1.$$" && mv "$2" "$1" && mv "$1.$$" "$2" || echo "$!"; else echo "Missing a file: $!"; fi; }
bartonski · 782 weeks ago
Why do people use echo "Success"? It's annoying and no production script ever uses it. How do people learn it, and where does it come from?
kaedenn · 782 weeks ago

What do you think?

Any thoughts on this command? Does it work on your machine? Can you do the same thing with only 14 characters?

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