Re: Repeat argument N times?

Re: Repeat argument N times?

[Stephane Chazelas]

2014-07-29 23:12:34 -0400, Benjamin R. Haskell:
> Is there a built-in way to repeat an argument N times?
> 
> Brace expansion is something I fall back on too much, so I've gotten in the
> habit of using it for small values of N, e.g. with a script I use to test
> uploading files to a web app:
> 
>     upload-files file1{,,} file2{,}{,,,,} file3{,,,}
> 
> uploads 3 copies of file1, 10 copies of file2, and 4 copies of file3.
> 
> It'd be nice if I could write (something like):
> 
>     upload-files file1(N3) file2(N10) file3(N4)
> 
> Today I found myself writing:
> 
>     upload-files file1{,}{,,,,}{,}{,,,,}
> 
> And while it's nice to know I can factor 100, it'd be nicer to just write
> it.
[...]

Some (non-ideal) approaches:

   upload-file $(repeat 100 echo file1)

   upload-file file1 <Ctrl-W><Alt-1><Alt-0><Alt-0><Ctrl-Y>
   
   upload-file $(printf 'file1%.0s\n' {1..100})

   upload-file  ${=${(l:600::file1 :):-}}

-- 
Stephane