bash dirs command and +N option

I'm trying to use the dirs command with the +N option. The manual says:

 dirs [-clpv] [+n] [-n] Without options, displays the list of currently remembered directories. The default display is on a single line with directory names separated by spaces. Direc- tories are added to the list with the pushd command; the popd command removes entries from the list. +n Displays the nth entry counting from the left of the list shown by dirs when invoked without options, starting with zero.

dirs -v shows:
0 /dir1/
1 /dir2/
2 /dir3/

However, dir +n 1, dir +N 1, dir -v +n 1, dir -v +N 1 all give:

bash: dirs: +n: invalid number
dirs: usage: dirs [-clpv] [+N] [-N]

Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks

Taras

2 Answers

The command dirs +N means that you actually have to put a number there:

$ dirs -v 0 /usr/local 1 /usr 2 /etc/init.d 3 /etc 4 / 5 ~
$ dirs +3
/etc

If you look closely, you will see that the n is underlined, which means it's a variable, not a string that you type verbatim.

In this case, the n stands for any number

e.g. dirs +1 or pushd +1.