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I have the following code as part of a larger file (assume ${tools_urls}, ${tempFolder} are global variables)

download_tools()
{
    for i in ${tools_urls}; do
        wget --no-check-certificate --directory-prefix=${tempFolder} ${i} || { echo "download failed" ; exit 3}
    done
}

When I run the script, I get the following error:

syntax error near unexpected token 'done'

However, if I remove the || { echo "download failed" ; exit 3} part of the loop, it works.

Why is this the case? I can't see anything wrong with my code, and I can't find similar examples that involve multiple statements in one line

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3

A compound command with curly braces must have semicolons after each command in it:

{ cmd1; cmd2; cmd3; }

So change it to:

... || { echo "download failed" ; exit 3; }

Notice that the space after the last command is needed:

The braces are reserved words, so they must be separated from the list (the commands) by blanks or other shell metacharacters.

Also, notice that you should quote your variables:

wget --no-check-certificate --directory-prefix="${tempFolder}" "${i}"
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4
  • This works, thanks. Here's what I don't get though: somewhere else in my code, I have a similar compound command, but it's not inside a for loop. If I put a semicolon like in your example, I get a syntax error! Why is a semicolon needed only inside a for loop, but not outside of it? – 9a3eedi Oct 28 '15 at 6:59
  • And thanks for noticing my other unrelated mistake with the quotes. Appreciate it! Still learning bash... – 9a3eedi Oct 28 '15 at 7:00
  • @9a3eedi Can you post that whole compound command, where you get the syntax error? – chaos Oct 28 '15 at 7:19
  • @BinaryZebra I added the note thanks, and good point – chaos Oct 28 '15 at 7:19

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