Do you see why this command is unterminated?
$ convert -draw 'text 2,120 "Where: x\'s"'
I'm trying to build a string for a command and run it from python.
I can't run it from the shell. :-(

James Smith <bjlockie021@gmail.com> writes:
> Do you see why this command is unterminated?
> $ convert -draw 'text 2,120 "Where: x\'s"'
> I'm trying to build a string for a command and run it from python.
> I can't run it from the shell. :-(

Because you can't escape a single-quote character within a single-quoted
string.

$ echo 'foo\'
foo\
$

If you're using bash, consider using its "ANSI-C Quoting" feature.
https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/html_node/ANSI_002dC-Quoting.html

(I'd suggest how to do it, but I'm not 100% sure what string you're
trying to print.)

--
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com
Working, but not speaking, for Philips
void Void(void) { Void(); } /* The recursive call of the void */

In article <5bcdfe16-d168-485d-8779-b780c47db963n@googlegroups.com>,
James Smith <bjlockie021@gmail.com> wrote:
>Do you see why this command is unterminated?
>$ convert -draw 'text 2,120 "Where: x\'s"'
>I'm trying to build a string for a command and run it from python.
>I can't run it from the shell. :-(

To embed a single quoted inside a single-quoted string in a POSIX-ish
shell, you need to replace each occurrence of ' with the 5 character
sequence: '"'"'
(which looks weird/complicated, until you realize it is just 5 keystrokes
of alternating quotes).

So, your example becomes:

$ convert -draw 'text 2,120 "Where: x'"'"'s"'

I have various aliases and scripts setup to do this replacement when I need
it to be done...

--
Donald Drumpf claims to be "the least racist person you'll ever meet".

This would be true if the only other person you've ever met was David Duke.

On 17.08.2021 05:13, James Smith wrote:
> Do you see why this command is unterminated?
> $ convert -draw 'text 2,120 "Where: x\'s"'
> I'm trying to build a string for a command and run it from python.
> I can't run it from the shell. :-(

Depending on the quotes it's sometimes helpful to use the other quote
type as surrounding brace and escape the inner

convert -draw "text 2,120 \"Where: x's\""

If (since) it's only a string argument to the convert command it may
also be possible to use other typographical quotes (Unicode supports
a lot) in the inner string, so that you don't even need escapes? E.g.

convert -draw "text 2,120 “Where: x's”"

Janis

On 2021-08-17, Kenny McCormack <gazelle@shell.xmission.com> wrote:

> To embed a single quoted inside a single-quoted string in a POSIX-ish
> shell, you need to replace each occurrence of ' with the 5 character
> sequence: '"'"'

This one is shorter: '\''

--
Christian "naddy" Weisgerber naddy@mips.inka.de

Christian Weisgerber <naddy@mips.inka.de> writes:

> On 2021-08-17, Kenny McCormack <gazelle@shell.xmission.com> wrote:
>
>> To embed a single quoted inside a single-quoted string in a POSIX-ish
>> shell, you need to replace each occurrence of ' with the 5 character
>> sequence: '"'"'
>
> This one is shorter: '\''

.... but does not work in a POSIX-ish shell like bash. Does it work in
any shell?

--
Ben.

On 2021-08-17, Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> wrote:

>>> To embed a single quoted inside a single-quoted string in a POSIX-ish
>>> shell, you need to replace each occurrence of ' with the 5 character
>>> sequence: '"'"'
>>
>> This one is shorter: '\''
>
> ... but does not work in a POSIX-ish shell like bash.

Of course it does.

Say you want to print "fool's gold".

Start with a single-quoted string without the apostrophe:
$ echo 'fools gold'

Now split it in two single-quoted strings without intervening space:
$ echo 'fool''s gold'

Then add a quoted single quote, i.e., \' between the two parts:
$ echo 'fool'\''s gold'

--
Christian "naddy" Weisgerber naddy@mips.inka.de

Christian Weisgerber <naddy@mips.inka.de> writes:

> On 2021-08-17, Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> wrote:
>
>>>> To embed a single quoted inside a single-quoted string in a POSIX-ish
>>>> shell, you need to replace each occurrence of ' with the 5 character
>>>> sequence: '"'"'
>>>
>>> This one is shorter: '\''
>>
>> ... but does not work in a POSIX-ish shell like bash.
>
> Of course it does.

I see what you are suggesting. I thought you were suggesting simply
putting the \ in the quotes. It seems obvious now that you were clearly
suggesting replacing the whole five char sequence '"'"' with four '\''.

My apologies.

--
Ben.