On Aug 3, 2007, at 11:37 AM, John Baxter wrote: > Compare these two: > > $echo This is a test. > This is a test. > $echo "This is a test." > This is a test. > > > In the first, echo gets four "words"---in the second it gets one. > > In the loop in your original message, echo has no idea about > anything named $i--it only knows what the system has given it--a > bunch of "words" when the quotes were absent vs a single "word" > with the quotes present (it doesn't see the quotes). Thus... > > $i="This is a test." > $echo $i > This is a test. > $echo "$i" > This is a test. > > (In all cases there INCLUDING the assignment, the leading $ on the > lines that have it is the shell prompt. So in the first one, the > command is > i = .... > ) > > Continuing... > $j="'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves" > $echo "$i" "$j" > This is a test. 'Twas brillig, and the > slithy toves > $echo "$i$j" > This is a test.'Twas brillig, and the > slithy toves > > and even > $echo "$i $j" > This is a test. 'Twas brillig, and > the slithy toves > > --John I understand that, but how do you get cat to put quotes around each line?