Re: $2 in complete function doesn't like ':' character

[Chet Ramey]

> > >         > function _blah_complete() { echo -e "\n-$1-$2-$3-"; }
> > >         > complete -F _blah_complete blah
> > >         > blah arg1 arg2 arg3:and:more<TAB>
> > >         -blah-more-arg2-
> > > 
> > >         Expected result:
> > >         -blah-arg3:and:more-arg2-
> > > 
> > >         or even (if the ':' splits "arg3:and:more" in three words):
> > >         -blah-more-and-
> >
> > `:' splits words for the completion code.  The intent was to be able to
> > complete pathnames in colon-separated lists.  If you quote the colon
> > with a backslash, you'll get the entire word (with backslashes intact)
> > passed to your completion function.
> 
> But if that's the case, shouldn't the example given then return
> "-blah-more-and-" ???

No, because the completion code splits words like the shell does, on
unquoted metacharacters.  The colon code acts within the word being
completed to allow things like the aforementioned colon-separated list.

You can get the entire word, colons included, by referencing
${COMP_WORDS[$COMP_CWORD]}

Chet

-- 
``The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne.'' - Chaucer
( ``Discere est Dolere'' -- chet)

Chet Ramey, CWRU    chet@po.CWRU.Edu    http://cnswww.cns.cwru.edu/~chet/