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In bash, how can I print the first n elements of a list?

In bash, how can I print the first n elements of a list?

For example, the first 10 files in this list:

FILES=$(ls)

UPDATE: I forgot to say that I want to print the elements on one line, just like when you print the whole list with echo $FILES.

Solution 
  • FILES=(*)
echo "${FILES[@]:0:10}"

    Should work correctly even if there are spaces in filenames.

    FILES=$(ls) creates a string variable. FILES=(*) creates an array. See this page for more examples on using arrays in bash. (thanks lhunath)