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  • This is not correctly quoted. The output of that command substitution is subject both to $IFS and filename generation - both of which can/will generate multiple fields. Combined with a / separator and the -i option it's... well, it's not correctly quoted. Commented Jun 6, 2015 at 19:17
  • @mikeserv I agree it's possible to break it --- but with standard shell environment is quite safe. Almost anything can be broken with alias date=whatever before.... but yes, strictly, you are right. Commented Jun 6, 2015 at 21:17
  • No. Aliases are only interpreted in command position and when unquoted. Your error is not a risk for affecting shell state as such - but what you are doing is calling a script editor with the unambiguous instruction that it should definitely modify and overwrite its input file, but with nothing but ambiguity as to what that input file should be - whatever it might be will depend entirely on the executing user's environment. It is not quite safe. Commented Jun 6, 2015 at 21:50