Git alias appending parameters to end

Question

I'm using Git Bash v1.8.1, with a few aliases (for testing):

[alias]
    ekko = !echo $1 && echo $1
    ekko2 = !sh -c 'echo $1 && echo $1'

But when I run them, I see:

> git ekko master
master
master master

And:

> git ekko2 master
(blank line) 
(blank line)

My intended behavior is:

> git ekko master
master
master

I'm fairly new to aliases - I'm looking for a way to ensure that my arguments are consumed entirely, and not appended to the end of the alias. Some sleuthing indicates this behavior changed somewhere around Git v1.7.x, and I haven't yet determined exactly how to accomplish this:

Git Alias - Multiple Commands and Parameters

Possible duplicate of [Git alias with positional parameters](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3321492/git-alias-with-positional-parameters) — Michael, Sep 03 '19 at 20:50

score 16 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 08 '13 at 14:36

16

Your ekko2 alias is really close... What you really want is this:

[alias]
    ekko2 = !sh -c 'echo $1 && echo $1' -

Git aliases that execute shell commands do substitute the $n variables, but they also append any arguments you pass them to the end of the command. So in your first example git ekko master is equivalent to echo master && echo master master, which explains its output.

Your second example is closer, but you're passing "master" to the sh command, which is just ignoring the extra argument. By adding - to the end of the alias, you're telling sh that the arguments that follow are intended for the script sh is executing, and not for sh itself.

answered Aug 08 '13 at 14:36

Ajedi32

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4

Just for the record, another relatively common way to achieve the same result is to use a function: `ekko2 = "!f() {echo $1 && echo $1}; f"`. It's potentially slightly more efficient, as it avoids forking a second shell, I think... – twalberg Aug 08 '13 at 15:09
4

For me, `ekko2 = "!echo $1; echo $2 #"` worked. The `#` suppresses the rest of the line. – donquixote Dec 29 '16 at 03:49
thanks @donquixote that '#' is making it all! don't know why I hustle so much to find this solution, it's much simpler than the !f() { ... }; f – Alan Apr 19 '23 at 13:07

score 5 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 08 '13 at 14:36

5

ekko2 is missing a single dash at the end:

[alias]
    ekko2 = !sh -c 'echo $1 && echo $1' -

See the Git Wiki on Advanced aliases with arguments:

[alias]
    example = !sh -c 'ls $2 $1' -

answered Aug 08 '13 at 14:36

score 4 · Answer 3 · answered May 24 '16 at 11:47

4

You can add a Bash noop command ":" at the end:

git config --global alias.hello-world '!echo "$1"; :'

Prints:

$ git hello-world hello world
hello world

answered May 24 '16 at 11:47

lumbric

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score 3 · Answer 4 · answered May 29 '19 at 08:28

3

On a Windows 10 machine using the standard command line the character # needs to be appended to the end of the alias and the whole alias wrapped in " characters. Eg.

[alias]
    ekko = "!echo $1 && echo $1 #"

answered May 29 '19 at 08:28

Castrohenge

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You saved my day!!! All other answers I saw dealt with linux or included some complicated unmaintainable stuff, this one is simple and reliable. – SebDieBln Dec 20 '22 at 11:10

Git alias appending parameters to end

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