Re: [PATCH] tests: use printf, not echo in init.sh's warn_ function

[Jim Meyering]

Voelker, Bernhard wrote:

> Jim Meyering wrote:
>> James Youngman wrote:
>>> ( IFS=' '; printf '%s\n' "$*"; )
>>>
>>> is perhaps slightly more reproducible.
>>
>> Good suggestion.  Setting IFS does seem prudent.
>> However, I'm inclined to use a subshell only if necessary:
>>
>> warn_ ()
>> {
>>   case $IFS in
>>     ' '*)         printf '%s\n' "$*" 1>&$stderr_fileno_   ;;
>>     *) ( IFS=' '; printf '%s\n' "$*" 1>&$stderr_fileno_ ) ;;
>>   esac
>> }
>
> is a subshell really needed to change IFS?
>
>   warn_ ()
>   {
>     IFS=' ' printf '%s\n' "$*" 1>&$stderr_fileno_
>   }
>
> or don't all shells understand this?

That would be better -- if it worked.
IFS is a shell variable, not an environment variable.
Try this on the command line:

  stderr_fileno_=2
  warn_ () { IFS=' ' printf '%s\n' "$*" 1>&$stderr_fileno_; }

  $ (IFS=:; warn_ a b)
  a:b