hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
XK0-006 Practice Question: A script needs to iterate over all .txt files in…
A script needs to iterate over all .txt files in a directory. Which loop structure correctly implements this?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse `while read` (which processes lines of text) with iterating over files, or think `select` is a general-purpose loop, when in fact only `for` with a glob pattern directly matches the requirement of iterating over all .txt files.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
for f in *.txt; do
The `for f in *.txt; do` loop is correct because it uses shell globbing to expand `*.txt` into a list of all .txt filenames in the current directory, then iterates over each filename. This is the standard and most efficient way to process a set of files matching a pattern in Bash and POSIX shell scripting.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
while read line; do
Why it's wrong here
while read is typically used for reading lines from a file, not for iterating over files.
- ✗
select option; do
Why it's wrong here
select is used to create a menu; it does not iterate over files automatically.
- ✗
until condition; do
Why it's wrong here
until loops until a condition becomes true; not designed for file iteration.
- ✓
for f in *.txt; do
Why this is correct
This bash loop iterates over each .txt file in the current directory.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Process Management and System Monitoring
Key term
Shell
A shell is a computer program that provides a user interface to access an operating system's services, typically by accepting text commands.
Key term
Bash
Bash is a command-line interpreter that lets users interact with an operating system by typing text commands instead of clicking icons.
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This XK0-006 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the XK0-006 exam.