#! /bin/csh -f
foreach name ($argv) if ( -f $name ) then
echo -n "delete the file ’${name}’ (y/n/q)?" else
echo -n "delete the entire directory ’${name}’ (y/n/q)? " endif
set ans = $< switch ($ans) case n:
continue case q:
exit case y:
rm -r $name continue
endsw
end
(Before reading further, try this program yourself. Set up a test directory, with several files in it, at least one of which is a subdirectory, with at least one file there. Then type ‘Del *’.)
The line
if ( -f $name ) then
tests to see if the file whose name is in $name is an ordinary file, as opposed to a directory file.
The -n option of echo tells the shell not to print the newline character, so that our answer, y/n/q, will be on the same line.
In the line
set ans = $<
the symbol ‘$<’ means the input from the keyboard.
The keyword ‘continue’ means to go to the top of the enclosing loop.
The -r option of the rm command means that if an argument is a directory, then remove that directory, and all the files (and subdirectories, etc.) within it.
