From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
Return-Path: <zsh-users-return-18320-mason-zsh=primenet.com.au@zsh.org>
Received: (qmail 24618 invoked by alias); 11 Jan 2014 23:36:05 -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: 18320
Received: (qmail 1602 invoked from network); 11 Jan 2014 23:35:49 -0000
X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.3.2 (2011-06-06) 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=3.3.2
From: Bart Schaefer <schaefer@brasslantern.com>
Message-id: <140111153552.ZM14759@torch.brasslantern.com>
Date: Sat, 11 Jan 2014 15:35:52 -0800
In-reply-to: <52D1C33A.7080803@gmx.com>
Comments: In reply to Eric Cook <llua@gmx.com>
 "Trailing whitespace after $'\0' with external commands" (Jan 11,  5:18pm)
References: <52D1C33A.7080803@gmx.com>
X-Mailer: OpenZMail Classic (0.9.2 24April2005)
To: zsh-users@zsh.org
Subject: Re: Trailing whitespace after $'\0' with external commands
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

On Jan 11,  5:18pm, Eric Cook wrote:
} Subject: Trailing whitespace after $'\0' with external commands
}
} I've noticed trailing whitespace is ignored when it appears immediately
} after $'\0'. i am unsure if this is intended behavior or not.
} 
} % zsh -c "/usr/bin/printf '<%s>' $'\0'' '; echo"
} <>

This is /usr/bin/printf behavior, not zsh behavior.  Has nothing to do
with whitespace:

% zsh -fc "/usr/bin/printf '<%s>' $'\0''none of this'; echo"
<>
% zsh -fc "printf '<%s>' $'\0''none of this'; echo"
<none of this>

I can only conclude that ksh is not actually retaining the nul byte in
the argument list when calling /usr/bin/printf.  There's an argument
(no pun intended) to be made for this behavior, in that it's impossible
for a string passed through the argv mechanism of execve and friends to
contain an embedded nul; the string will always end at that byte, so
ksh assumes it knows better than you and removes it so that the called
program (/usr/bin/printf in this case) can see the "whole" string.

Conversely, zsh is just doing *exactly* what you told it to do.