api: YAML JSON TOON Database
version: 1.0.0
format: toon
dataset:
  id: 1662
  slug: shell-safe-file-patterns
  title: Safer Bash File and Process Patterns
  description: "Bash patterns for filenames, temporary files, pipelines, and exit status, with portability boundaries."
  summary: "Bash patterns for filenames, temporary files, pipelines, and exit status, with portability boundaries. Each row includes a practical application and a failure to check before using it."
  use_when[2]: Write a script that handles unusual filenames.,Keep a maintenance command bounded and recoverable.
  caveats[2]: The examples target Bash with common GNU tools.,Cleanup commands must only target directories your task owns.
  related[2]: shell-scripting-guide,git-recovery-workflows
  reviewed_at: 2026-10-12
  sources[2]{title,url}:
    GNU Bash manual,"https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/"
    GNU Coreutils manual,"https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html"
  reading[1]: recover-git-work-without-losing-local-changes
  provenance: "Original editorial reference notes by YJTOON, informed by the linked primary documentation. External specifications retain their own licenses."
  entry_count: 10
  fields[4]{section,field,type,example}:
    data,task,string,Quote a path
    data,pattern,string,"printf '%s\\n' \"$file\""
    data,reason,string,Keep spaces and glob characters in one argument.
    data,limitation,string,Quoting does not validate the value.
  category: Unix Commands
  category_slug: unix-commands
  tags: "unix-commands,shell safe file patterns,reference,engineering"
  view_count: 2
  created_at: 1791798640
  updated_at: 1791798640
data[10]{task,pattern,reason,limitation}:
  Quote a path,"printf '%s\\n' \"$file\"",Keep spaces and glob characters in one argument.,Quoting does not validate the value.
  Stop option parsing,"cp -- \"$source\" \"$destination\"",Treat a leading hyphen as part of a filename.,Double-dash support depends on the utility.
  Read a literal line,IFS= read -r line,Preserve backslashes and leading spaces.,A line format cannot represent embedded newlines safely.
  Print data,"printf '%s\\n' \"$value\"",Keep user-controlled text out of the format string.,Never use the value itself as the printf format.
  Create a temporary directory,workdir=$(mktemp -d),Avoid predictable temporary names.,Arrange cleanup and check failure.
  Clean up on exit,"trap 'rm -rf -- \"$workdir\"' EXIT",Remove a task-owned temporary directory.,Validate that the variable refers to the intended directory.
  Propagate pipeline failure,set -o pipefail,Let a failing earlier pipeline stage affect status.,This is not a POSIX sh feature.
  Use an argument array,"args=(--output \"$file\"); command \"${args[@]}\"",Preserve argument boundaries.,Bash arrays are not portable to plain sh.
  Use NUL-delimited paths,find . -type f -print0,Represent paths that contain whitespace or newlines.,Every consumer must preserve NUL delimiters.
  Bound a process,timeout 10s command,Limit a potentially stuck command.,GNU timeout is not available on every platform.