Trying to create:
alias mcd="mkdir $1; cd $1"
Getting:
$ mcd foo
usage: mkdir [-pv] [-m mode] directory ...
-bash: foo: command not found
What am I doing wrong?
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1This one was asked and answered first!Andrey Fedorov– Andrey Fedorov2015-04-24 14:46:28 +00:00Commented Apr 24, 2015 at 14:46
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1 Answer
An alias can only substitute the first word of a command with some arbitrary text. It can not use parameters.
You can instead use a shell function:
mcd()
{
test -e "$1" || mkdir "$1"
cd "$1"
}
5 Comments
talkaboutquality
Could have been a shell script too? Named as a file mcd with no extension? How is a function different or better?
Gordon Davisson
It wouldn't work as a shell script, because the script would run in a subshell. In order for the cd to have the intended effect, it has to run in the caller's shell, not a subshell.
Tebe
how is this function supposed to be called?
Tebe
ah, fine, found stackoverflow.com/questions/7131670/…
just somebody
this function is supposed to be called just like any other command, be it implemented by a function, a builtin or external command. you just need to make sure the function is defined in your shell, which can be done by putting it in your shell startup files.