Bash expression for a list of files starting and ending with a pattern

Question

In my bash shell, I need to select files starting with abor xyzand not ending with .jpgor.gif

here is what i did but it doesn't work:

$ echo ab*[!.jpg] ab*[!.gif] xyz*[!.jpg] xyz*[!.gif]

Answer 1

With bash extended glob syntax:

$ touch {ab,xyz}1234.{jpg,gif,txt,doc}

$ shopt -s extglob    
$ echo @(ab|xyz)!(*@(.jpg|.gif))
ab1234.doc ab1234.txt xyz1234.doc xyz1234.txt

An exclamation mark for negation, and a symbol @for or.

Literature:

• Using OR patterns in shell patterns
• How to use reverse or negative wildcards when matching patterns in a unix / linux shell?

Answer 2

Using grep:

ls | grep -E '^ab|^xyz' | grep -E -v '\.jpg$|\.gif$'

-v - invert match

Answer 3

, : -

ls {ab*,xyz*}.* | sed '/.jpg/d;/.gif/d'

: -

ls {ab*,xyz*}.* | sed '/.jpg/d;/.gif/d' > shortedFile.txt

How will it work? The command ls {ab*,xyz*}.*will list all files starting with aband xyz, and redirect the output to the command sedusing the command |(pipe) and sed, will delete the file name ending with .jpgand gif.

Hope this helps your