bash - Shell script: Whitespace in file names -

i have shell script processes files. problem there might white spaces in file names, did:

#!/bin/sh file=`echo $file | sed -e 's/[[:space:]]/\\ /g'` cat $file 

so variable file file name passed in other program. may contain white spaces. used sed escape white space \ in order make command line utilities able process it.

the problem doesn't work. echo $file | sed -e 's/[[:space:]]/\\ /g' works expected, when assigned file, escape char \ disappeared again. result, cat interpret more 1 arguments. wonder why behaves this? there anyway avoid it? , if there're multiple white spaces, some terrible file.txt, should replaced some\ \ \ terrible\ \ file.txt. thanks.

don’t make more complicated is.

cat "$file" 

that’s need. note quotes around variable. prevent variable being expanded , split @ whitespace. should write shell programs that. put quotes around variables, unless want shell expand them.

for in $pattern; 

that ok.