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Re: why not update bash syntax while maintaining backwards compatibility
From: |
John McKown |
Subject: |
Re: why not update bash syntax while maintaining backwards compatibility? |
Date: |
Fri, 15 Feb 2019 09:53:14 -0600 |
On Fri, Feb 15, 2019 at 9:51 AM Chet Ramey <chet.ramey@case.edu> wrote:
> On 2/15/19 10:26 AM, Vlad Vladov wrote:
> > Hi,
> > I think bash is great and more people should use it. However, it has a
> bit
> > more picky syntax than many other modern languages and shell scripts. For
> > example assigning a var requires having no spaces between = and var and
> > assignment. I think this kind of thing can be fixed while still
> maintaining
> > backwards compatibility since we would only need to accept space (0 or
> > more) between tokens. If someone needs to write a script for older
> systems
> > they can just follow a stricter syntax, while others can use the benefits
> > of more lenient syntax. What are your thoughts?
>
> That introduces ambiguity. What would be the difference between such a
> statement and the invocation of a simple command?
>
I hadn't thought of that. A = B means call the routine A with the
parameters = and B. Whereas A=B is an assignment. I'm too used to white
space indifferent languages.
>
> --
> ``The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne.'' - Chaucer
> ``Ars longa, vita brevis'' - Hippocrates
> Chet Ramey, UTech, CWRU chet@case.edu http://tiswww.cwru.edu/~chet/
>
>
--
I just burned 2000 calories!
That's the last time I'll nap with brownies in the oven.
Maranatha! <><
John McKown