Re: Question about the return value of 'local'

[Francis Moreau]

On Thu, Dec 13, 2012 at 9:44 AM, Bob Proulx <bob@proulx.com> wrote:
> Francis Moreau wrote:
>> I found that the return value of 'local' keyword is counter intuitive
>> when the value of the assignment is an expression returning false. In
>> that case the return value of local is still true. For example:
>>
>>   local foo=$(echo bar; false)
>>
>> returns true
>
> Yes.  The creation of the local variable foo was successful.
>
>> whereas:
>>
>>   foo=$(echo bar; false)
>>
>> returns false, that is removing the 'local' keyword has the opposite 
>> behaviour.
>
> The "local" function itself is either there or it isn't.  If it is
> there then the return value is the return from local.  If it isn't
> there then it isn't there and the return value is of whatever you are
> checking.
>
> If the local value is there then you may use it to assign multiple
> values.  How does your thinking change when thinking about having
> multiple values to local?
>
>   local v1=true v2=false v3="green" v4=42
>
> If the entire operation is successful then it returns 0.  If any of
> the operands fail then it returns non-zero.

Ok I see, thanks.

>
>> The help of 'local' is rather obscure about the description on its return 
>> value:
>>
>>     Returns success unless an invalid option is supplied, an
>>     error occurs, or the shell is not executing a function.
>>
>> "an error occurs" is rather meaningless IMHO.
>>
>> Could anybody explain me why 'local' returns true in this case ?
>
> It returns 0 because the local variable was successfully created.
>
>> Also I tried to find in the documentation, where the specification of
>> the return value of an asignment is but have failed. Could anybody
>> point me out the location ?
>
> The bash manual contains this:
>
>        local [option] [name[=value] ...]

Actually I was asking for the case when 'local' is not used:

  foo=$(echo bar; false)

this assignment expression returns false, and I'm wondering where
that's documented.

Thanks.
--
Francis