Re: [bug-gawk] Awk gets stucked if no filename

[Neil R. Ormos]

Arnold Robbins wrote:
> ["Neil R. Ormos" <address@hidden> wrote:]

>> [... mis-understanding the behavior of the shell ...]

> Hi.

> I am going through old mail. I may never have answered
> this, I don't remember.

> See below.

> [...]

> In the case under discussion:

> f=""
> awk '{ print("hi") }' $f

> awk doesn't see an explicit empty string. When a variable
> expansion is the null string, AND it's not quoted, the
> shell simply removes it from the command line. To demonstrate:

> $ f=""
> $ awk 'BEGIN { print ARGC }' $f
> 1
> $ awk 'BEGIN { print ARGC }' "$f"
> 2

Arnold:

You replied contemporaneously, but I appreciate
the opportunity to revisit the topic today and
re-learn subject matter about which I had erred
when I earlier posted.

Thanks.

Best regards,

--Neil Ormos