Bash: Access parameter passed to last command

Question

This is a situation I often find myself in:

mkdir /Some/really/long/path/to/a/directory/
cd /Some/really/long/path/to/a/directory/

I know that ideally you would cd /Some/...etc.../a/ and then mkdir directory, but I've often performed mkdir first and then had to cd to the end of the same lengthy file path I just created.

Short of doing...

var="/Some/...etc.../a/"
mkdir $var/directory; cd $var

...which is even worse, is there some way to reuse the parameter passed to the previous command? I'm aware of course of tab completion, but in a series of nested directories with similar names this doesn't always help that much. Ideally, I'm hoping for a shortcut like $# or $@.

Failing this, the next best time-saving solution would be equally appreciated!

possible duplicate of Is there a one-liner that allows me to create a directory and move into it at the same time? ... or How do you recall the last (n-th?) passed argument of the previous command you used with bash? — Scott - Слава Україні, Apr 19 '15 at 22:10
But a good duplicate I think in its more general sense (for any previously passed argument) where I ask: "is there some way to reuse the parameter passed to the previous command?" — toxefa, Apr 19 '15 at 22:13

score 3 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 20 '15 at 06:28

There are previous answers that suggest you to use $_ and !$. While this works, I find it quite dangerous as they are not expanded and you cannot see their value before pressing enter and executing the command. Imagine using rm $_ without being sure what you're going to delete!

If you're using bash (probably with readlines's emacs mode, which is the default), I suggest you to press ESC, release it, and then press ..

This shortcut recalls the last argument from the last executed command. So writing cd <ESC> <.> will bring you your long path/file.

The hotkey ALT + . (pressed simultaneously) works in the same way.

If you're using bash vi mode instead of the default's emacs mode, you can simulate this behaviour with ALT + . if you alter your ~\.inputrc file with:

set keymap vi-insert

$if mode=vi
    "\e.": yank-last-arg
$endif

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 19 '15 at 20:48

2

In bash (and some other shells, like zsh), you can use $_, which contains the last argument to the previous command:

mkdir /path/to/file
cd "$_"

answered Apr 19 '15 at 20:48

Chris Down

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And of course also in ksh. – Janis Apr 19 '15 at 21:31

score 2 · Answer 3 · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:36

2

When working interactively, you can use history expansion for this:

mkdir /Some/really/long/path/to/a/directory/
cd !$

There are loads of variants to this which allow you to access other parameters from the previous command or any other command in your history. See Bash, insert last used argument of current command for details...

edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:36

Community

1

answered Apr 19 '15 at 21:04

Stephen Kitt

434,908

Bash: Access parameter passed to last command

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