Re: [PATCH 1/3] Properly expand @configure_input@ in config.status.

[Ralf Wildenhues]

Hello Paul,

* Paul Eggert wrote on Sat, Jan 05, 2008 at 09:24:46AM CET:
> Ralf Wildenhues <address@hidden> writes:
> 
> > If & is used as sed s delimiter, then escaping & in the RHS right is
> > tricky (portably), as it's now both delimiter and replacement
> > operator, and literal.
> 
> I don't see why it's tricky to do portably.  If the RHS contains '&',
> escape it with a backslash.  That's simple and portable, no?

But it doesn't work the way it should.  Sorry, I should have given an
example:  With GNU sed 4.1.5,
  echo x | sed 's&x&ab\&c&'

results in
  abxc

rather than
  ab&c

which is what is returned by the seds on AIX, BSDs, Solaris, IRIX,
Tru64, and reading SUSv3, I think it does not specify which is right.

> The advantage of using & as a delimiter is that any other choice of a
> delimiter means one more character to escape (namely, the delimiter).
> 
> (Admittedly these are all minor points.)

Cheers,
Ralf