if statement - shell script if condition too many arguments -

/root/mp3/ path contains below file. want move file contain letter "in" other folder

  2017-02-10-12-11-05-in.talaw   2017-02-10-12-11-05-out.talaw   2017-02-10-12-12-05-in.alaw   2017-02-10-12-12-05-out.alaw     $files=/root/mp3/*   f in "$files"      ef=$(ls $f | awk -f"." '{print $1}' | awk -f "-" '{print $nf}')   #to check in file    if [ $ef = "in" ]   #if file contian "in" letter move other folder )          mv /files /sotrage      fi   done 

getting error many arguments @ if [ $ef = "in" ] if tried if [ "$ef" == "in" ] not getting current output

  using if [ $ef = "in" ]  compare if file contains "in" 

then should move files conatians in other folder

really want mv -t /destination /root/mp3/*-in.*

---

you having problems due you're storing pattern in variable:

$files=/root/mp3/* f in "$files"; 

at point, $f contains literal string "/root/mp3/*" -- pattern has not been expanded yet because of quotes around "$files"

then, this

  ef=$(ls $f | awk -f"." '{print $1}' | awk -f "-" '{print $nf}') 

$f unquoted, shell expands pattern , ls sees list of files. you're passing awk several lines of text. $ef contain newlines. try echo "$ef" @ point.