David, The arguments are globbed alright, a simple test shows that (I named the script guy.sh) : # ./guy.sh ../../work/* Number of array elements: 29 Element 0 : ../../work/ARCSDEsysdesig.pdf file: ../../work/ARCSDEsysdesig.pdf Element 1 : ../../work/bash directory: ../../work/bash Element 2 : ../../work/contacts.csv file: ../../work/contacts.csv Element 3 : ../../work/cpio.txt file: ../../work/cpio.txt Element 4 : ../../work/dhopor directory: ../../work/dhopor Element 5 : ../../work/gi1 file: ../../work/gi1 Element 6 : ../../work/gi2 file: ../../work/gi2 Element 7 : ../../work/g.sh file: ../../work/g.sh Element 8 : ../../work/guy1 file: ../../work/guy1 Element 9 : ../../work/guy2 file: ../../work/guy2 Element 10 : ../../work/guy2.orig file: ../../work/guy2.orig Element 11 : ../../work/guy.in file: ../../work/guy.in Element 12 : ../../work/guy.out file: ../../work/guy.out Element 13 : ../../work/guy.sh file: ../../work/guy.sh Element 14 : ../../work/index.html file: ../../work/index.html Element 15 : ../../work/input.txt file: ../../work/input.txt Element 16 : ../../work/java_gcverbose_options.odt file: ../../work/java_gcverbose_options.odt Element 17 : ../../work/java_gcverbose_output.odt file: ../../work/java_gcverbose_output.odt Element 18 : ../../work/modresconf file: ../../work/modresconf Element 19 : ../../work/perltime.sh file: ../../work/perltime.sh Element 20 : ../../work/portaal.zip file: ../../work/portaal.zip Element 21 : ../../work/prod_ora_20326.trc.gz file: ../../work/prod_ora_20326.trc.gz Element 22 : ../../work/sensors_info.txt file: ../../work/sensors_info.txt Element 23 : ../../work/t file: ../../work/t Element 24 : ../../work/TABLES_TS_MAP.jpg file: ../../work/TABLES_TS_MAP.jpg Element 25 : ../../work/TABLES_TS_SPACE_ADVISORY_2008-05-24.jpg file: ../../work/TABLES_TS_SPACE_ADVISORY_2008-05-24.jpg Element 26 : ../../work/thunderbird directory: ../../work/thunderbird Element 27 : ../../work/thunderbird.csv.ldif file: ../../work/thunderbird.csv.ldif Element 28 : ../../work/winterdienst directory: ../../work/winterdienst Only if you quote will you get your argument back, as expected : [guy@gz:~/work/bash] # ./guy.sh "../../work/*" Number of array elements: 1 Element 0 : ../../work/* file: ../../work/ARCSDEsysdesig.pdf file: ../../work/contacts.csv file: ../../work/cpio.txt file: ../../work/gi1 file: ../../work/gi2 file: ../../work/g.sh file: ../../work/guy1 file: ../../work/guy2 file: ../../work/guy2.orig file: ../../work/guy.in file: ../../work/guy.out file: ../../work/guy.sh file: ../../work/index.html file: ../../work/input.txt file: ../../work/java_gcverbose_options.odt file: ../../work/java_gcverbose_output.odt file: ../../work/modresconf file: ../../work/perltime.sh file: ../../work/portaal.zip file: ../../work/prod_ora_20326.trc.gz file: ../../work/sensors_info.txt file: ../../work/t file: ../../work/TABLES_TS_MAP.jpg file: ../../work/TABLES_TS_SPACE_ADVISORY_2008-05-24.jpg file: ../../work/thunderbird.csv.ldif file: ../../work/bash: file: guy.sh file: ../../work/dhopor: or if you use "set -o noglob" in your shell : # set -o noglob # ./guy.sh ../../work/* Number of array elements: 1 Element 0 : ../../work/* file: ../../work/ARCSDEsysdesig.pdf file: ../../work/contacts.csv file: ../../work/cpio.txt file: ../../work/gi1 file: ../../work/gi2 file: ../../work/g.sh file: ../../work/guy1 file: ../../work/guy2 file: ../../work/guy2.orig file: ../../work/guy.in file: ../../work/guy.out file: ../../work/guy.sh file: ../../work/index.html file: ../../work/input.txt file: ../../work/java_gcverbose_options.odt file: ../../work/java_gcverbose_output.odt file: ../../work/modresconf file: ../../work/perltime.sh file: ../../work/portaal.zip file: ../../work/prod_ora_20326.trc.gz file: ../../work/sensors_info.txt file: ../../work/t file: ../../work/TABLES_TS_MAP.jpg file: ../../work/TABLES_TS_SPACE_ADVISORY_2008-05-24.jpg file: ../../work/thunderbird.csv.ldif file: ../../work/bash: file: guy.sh file: ../../work/dhopor: file: control_files file: data model file: dho-portaal_sync.sh file: ../../work/thunderbird: file: Persoonlijk_adresboek.vcf file: ../../work/winterdienst: file: aip file: aip_reworked.tgz.eds file: aip_wd.tgz file: control_files file: data model file: dho-portaal_sync.sh file: ../../work/thunderbird: file: Persoonlijk_adresboek.vcf file: ../../work/winterdienst: file: aip file: aip_reworked.tgz.eds file: aip_wd.tgz Gtz, Guy. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org