Re: [9front] git on labs distribution

[Alex Musolino <alex@musolino.id.au>]

> the other issue is the use of `$nl{ cmd } in rc(1) scripts.
> the shell parser doesn't like this and I cannot see what it
> is designed to do. Can someone explain?

 From the 9front man page:

	`{command}
	`split {command}
		rc executes the command and reads its standard output,
		splitting it into a list of arguments, using characters
		in $ifs as separators.  If $ifs is not otherwise set,
		its value is ' \t\n'.  In the second form of the com-
		mand, split is used instead of $ifs.

The use of $nl (containing a literal newline) avoids having to
place extraneous quotes, escapes, and LFs throughout a script.

The man page is a little misleading here, I feel.  Setting
ifs=' \t\n' doesn't do what it seems to imply.  You actually
have to include literal tab and LF characters, i.e.:

ifs=' 	
'

--
Cheers,
Alex Musolino