Terminal: line of code to ask user to select name from a list?

Hi all,
In my script I use the ls command to display the list of files in the directory. I then want the user to choose and input a single file name from the list (using the read command). If they enter a name not listed above I want the terminal to ask them to retype. The files in the directory are not always going to be the same every time the script is run, so the script will have to somehow compare the user input to all files in that directory at that current time. Can I compare input to ls somehow?

Thank you in advance
(P.s. I'm new to this )

First, what language are you typing the script in? The ls command is just going to list the contents of a directory in various ways, so for any comparison, you'll have to keep track of the files in an array or something and then compare that against subsequent ls commands.

I'm making a simple bash script, i'm writing it in text editor and then using 'chmod 700' to turn it into an exe file. Oh i see, how do i go about doing that? I don't exactly know what to search to find a relevant guide, perhaps you could point me in the right direction

I wouldn't suggest BASH as the language, you're better of with something like Python which has access to many packages that will aid you as your script gets more complicated.

However, if you want to stick with BASH, then checkout BASH Beginners Guide which explains the basics..

Beyond that, how you do what you need to do depends on how good you are at programming..

I agree with Ashwin, probably better off using something like Python. However if you insist on using Bash...
bash.academy ((outdated link removed)
https://www.blockloop.io/mastering-bash-and-terminal
GitHub - Idnan/bash-guide: A guide to learn bash

You haven't stated what you want to do with any selected files.

But I would use a simple AppleScript to select the Folder and Files to process.

After all, that's what AppleScript was designed for.

Regards Mark