Running a do loop

Question

I am attempting to build a loop to check for files in a folder then run a loop if files exist in the folder and keep running the loop until no more files are left, but I am running into the token error, "syntax error near unexpected token `do'. Here is the script I am trying to run.

files=/satellite/MSGVIS6/* 
if [ "${#files[@]}" -gt 0 ]; then
do
    mcenv << 'EOF'
    imgcopy.k MSGVI6D MSGVI6I BAND=1 SIZE=SAME
    imgremap.k MSGVI6I MSGVI6I.2 SIZE=ALL PRO=MERC RES=3.00
    imgcha.k MSGVI6I.2 STYPE=GVAR
    imgdel.k MSGVI6I.1
    exit
    EOF
    find /satellite/awips/ -type f -name 'AREA6022*' -exec mv '{}' /awips2/edex/data/manual/ \;
    rm -rf "$files"
    done

else
echo ''
echo "No files downloaded. New area files will not be created."
fi 

exit 0

Any thoughts on what I may be writing incorrectly?

Answer 1

Assuming bash, in a simple variable assignment, globbing is not performed:

$ a=*
$ echo "$a"
*

To get an array, you need to use parentheses:

a=(*)

For example, in /usr:

$ a=(*)
$ echo "$a" "${a[@]}"
bin bin include lib lib32 lib64 local sbin share src

So, your first line should actually read:

files=(/satellite/MSGVIS6/*) 

To expand to all elements in an array a, use "${a[@]}":

rm -rf "${files[@]}"

Other notes:

• You can use mv -t to make the find more efficient with {} +:

  find /satellite/awips/ -type f -name 'AREA6022*' -exec mv -t /awips2/edex/data/manual/ {} +
  

• Just use echo instead of echo '':

  echo
  echo "No files downloaded. New area files will not be created."
  

• The exit 0 is pointless.