From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
Return-Path: <zsh-users-return-15935-mason-zsh=primenet.com.au@zsh.org>
Received: (qmail 8992 invoked by alias); 5 Apr 2011 07:45:01 -0000
Mailing-List: contact zsh-users-help@zsh.org; run by ezmlm
Precedence: bulk
X-No-Archive: yes
List-Id: Zsh Users List <zsh-users.zsh.org>
List-Post: <mailto:zsh-users@zsh.org>
List-Help: <mailto:zsh-users-help@zsh.org>
X-Seq: 15935
Received: (qmail 7531 invoked from network); 5 Apr 2011 07:44:50 -0000
X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.3.1 (2010-03-16) on f.primenet.com.au
X-Spam-Level: 
X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE
	autolearn=ham version=3.3.1
Received-SPF: none (ns1.primenet.com.au: domain at closedmail.com does not designate permitted sender hosts)
From: Bart Schaefer <schaefer@brasslantern.com>
Message-id: <110404072617.ZM9904@torch.brasslantern.com>
Date: Mon, 04 Apr 2011 07:26:17 -0700
In-reply-to: <BANLkTikVWk9t4h3APSkFN7tOKyjTHJgmJg@mail.gmail.com>
Comments: In reply to ( Text in unknown character set UTF-8 not shown )
 <arkanosis@gmail.com>        "Re: is variable with variable name possible?"
 (Apr  4,  3:51pm)
References: <Xns9EBD94C46B8C1zzappergmailcom@80.91.229.10>
	<BANLkTimegXA4_5Co4sSWKgOmY_U-EWE6Pg@mail.gmail.com>
	<BANLkTikVWk9t4h3APSkFN7tOKyjTHJgmJg@mail.gmail.com>
X-Mailer: OpenZMail Classic (0.9.2 24April2005)
To: Zsh Users <zsh-users@zsh.org>
Subject: Re: is variable with variable name possible?
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

On Apr 4,  3:51pm, Jeremie Roquet wrote:
} Subject: Re: is variable with variable name possible?
}
} 2011/4/4 Jeremie Roquet <arkanosis@gmail.com>:
} > 2011/4/4 zzapper <david@tvis.co.uk>:
} >> somevar=$(pwd)
} >>
} >> but I want somevar to be a variable name
} >
} > $ eval "$somevar=$(pwd)"
} 
} Actually, the quotes aren't even needed:
} 
} $ eval $somevar=$(pwd)

If $(pwd) has spaces in the directory name, this is going to fail.  So
you do need quotes, but a different kind:

    eval $somevar='$(pwd)'

For scalars (but not array assignments) you can also do

    typeset -g $somevar=$(pwd)

You can also use ${somevar::=$(pwd)} anywhere that you'd reference the
value of $somevar, including the no-op command:

    : ${somevar::=$(pwd)}

That also works for array assignments if you explicitly split:

    : ${(As:/:)somevar::=$(pwd)}
    print -l $somevar

Note though that here the stuff after the = is joined with the first
character of $IFS before being split, so to copy one array to another
you have to be careful.  Also note that without the (A) the split is
applied to the expansion after the assignment.