-bash: syntax error near unexpected token '(' when running Java program from command line

Question

I am trying to figure out why I am getting a -bash: syntax error near unexpected token '(' when attempting to run a basic calculator java program from command line.

The project has been finished submitted and graded already, so no academic dishonesty intended.

In my terminal (macOs 10.13.6) I am running the program using:

java InfixExpressionEvaluator (a+b)*(c-9) "a=1 b=2 c=3";

where (a+b) * (c-9) is the expression to be evaluated with the given variables following. However, every time I get -bash: syntax error near unexpected token '('. Is this due to the formatting of the expression (a+b) * (c-9) ? I am not familiar with bash scripting, but from some google searches it appear as though the terminal is attempting to interpret the '(' as part of a script, and to get around this I would need to place (a+b) * (c-9) within quotations ie "(a+b) * (c-9)" . Is this correct, or is there something I am missing?

Answer 1

The "expression to be evaluated" needs to be quoted because it contains several characters ( ( , ) , * ) that have special significance to Bash. This should work:

java InfixExpressionEvaluator '(a+b)*(c-9)' 'a=1 b=2 c=3'

No expansions are needed, so I used single quotes instead of double quotes. I removed the trailing ; because Bash doesn't need it.