Re: ifs substitution, how should it work?

[Bengt Kleberg <bengt@softwell.se>]

> From: Tim Goodwin <tjg@star.le.ac.uk>
> > ; x = ``(abc) {cmd...}
> > ; echo $x => 1a2b3 4c5

> If you want awk, you know where to find it.  :-)

Yes, but I had this little problem and suddenly realised that the mysterious 
``(abc) {cmd...}
actually might be used for something! I have never used it before.

> I don't think anything more complicated than single character field
> seperators belongs in a shell: particularly not rc.

OK. Would you consider making ``(abc)
a parse time error? only allow ifs=asd, or ifs=( a s d ), not ifs=(asd) too.
Or, as with the confusing

if ( {}  && {} ) {cmd...}
vs
if ( () && () ) {cmd...} 

document it.

> What's the actual problem you're trying to solve?

split a filename into directory, filename and suffix. the suffix should be allowed to have more than 1 character.
the idea is to make the previously emailed base_name function (made by Carlo Strozzi <carlos@linux.it>)
more like the os utility basename.


Best Wishes, Bengt
===============================================================
Everything aforementioned should be regarded as totally private
opinions, and nothing else. bengt@softwell.se
``His great strength is that he is uncompromising. It would make
him physically ill to think of programming in C++.''