Specifically, !# refers to the current line (up to but not including the location of the !# itself). !#:* is the part of that line after the command name (so, in this case, "This is a sentence."). !#:1- is the same as !#:* except that it omits the last word (so it doesn't include the second copy of "This is a sentence" that we just added via the !#:*).
The end result is a line with three copies of This is a sentence. echoed into a file named text3.
Best Answer
It's using bash's history substitution mechanism.
Specifically,
!#
refers to the current line (up to but not including the location of the!#
itself).!#:*
is the part of that line after the command name (so, in this case,"This is a sentence."
).!#:1-
is the same as!#:*
except that it omits the last word (so it doesn't include the second copy of"This is a sentence"
that we just added via the!#:*
).The end result is a line with three copies of
This is a sentence.
echoed into a file namedtext3
.