On Wednesday 18 May 2011 16:06:47 Bowie Bailey wrote: > > or, if you need recursive: > > $ eval vim $(find /some/dir -type f -printf '"%p" ') > > > > (shell quotes expansions automatically, but you can still ensure output > > from find is appropriately quoted manually) > > Interesting. I'm not sure what the eval is doing, but it works even > with spaces in the filenames. Unfortunately, it won't work with the > OP's original scenario (a file with a list of filenames to edit). eval just evaluates arguments and hence does the same argument splitting as shell does when it receives a command, you can see it if you do 'set -x' before running the command. In this case eval gets two arguments: 'vim' and '"/some/dir/a" "/some/dir/b" ', after splitting the command run is vim "/some/dir/a" "/some/dir/b" (quoted) which is why spaces, etc. are preserved. As for OP's original scenario, I left it out as you already answered it. Note that there's also a shortcut for cat (without launching a subprocess): $ vim $(< listfile) -- Michael Gliwinski Henderson Group Information Services 9-11 Hightown Avenue, Newtownabby, BT36 4RT Phone: 028 9034 3319 ********************************************************************************************** The information in this email is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended solely for the addressee and access to the email by anyone else is unauthorised. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution or any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it, is prohibited and may be unlawful. When addressed to our clients, any opinions or advice contained in this e-mail are subject to the terms and conditions expressed in the governing client engagement leter or contract. If you have received this email in error please notify support at henderson-group.com John Henderson (Holdings) Ltd Registered office: 9 Hightown Avenue, Mallusk, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, BT36 4RT. Registered in Northern Ireland Registration Number NI010588 Vat No.: 814 6399 12 *********************************************************************************