Re: extglob pattern: @(/root) vs. @(root)

[Stephane CHAZELAS]

2011-12-9, 16:16(+08), Clark J. Wang:
> See following:
>
> # shopt extglob
> extglob         on
> # echo $BASH_VERSION
> 4.2.20(1)-release
> # ls -d /root
> /root
> # pwd
> /
> # echo @(root)
> root
> # echo @(/root)
> @(/root)  <-- ???
> # echo @(/root*)
> @(/root*)  <-- ???
> #
>
> I'm confused why @(/root) and @(/root*) do not work here.

Globbing operators (*, ?, [/],  @(..)) don't match "/". "/" has
to be inserted literally.

See the doc:

   When a pattern is used for filename expansion, the character `.' at
the start of a filename or immediately following a slash must be
matched explicitly, unless the shell option `dotglob' is set.  When
                                                               ~~~~
matching a file name, the slash character must always be matched
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
explicitly.  In other cases, the `.' character is not treated specially.
~~~~~~~~~~

-- 
Stephane
>