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From: Zefram <A.Main@dcs.warwick.ac.uk>
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Subject: Re: maintaining init files on a [t]csh influenced system
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Date: Wed, 6 Sep 1995 19:33:07 +0100 (BST)
In-Reply-To: <950906111012.ZM4206@zyrcon.z-code.com> from "Barton E. Schaefer" at Sep 6, 95 11:10:11 am
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[Sorry about the earlier version of this message.  I goofed.]

>On the original question, though -- there are two major syntactic barriers
>to getting zsh to parse csh script files:
>
>1.  "set" commands, because they can do any of:
>    a.  assign to multiple boolean options in a single command
>    b.  mix assignments of option variables with string assignments
>    c.  use spaces around the "=" sign in any string assignment
>
>	set noclobber history = 50 nonomatch prompt="`hostname`: "
>
>2.  the "$?variable" syntax for testing whether a variable is set
>
>You can get zsh to parse just about everything else (*) by clever use of
>aliases and zsh functions, but I haven't figured out a workaround for
>either of the above.

$?variable would have to be supported by zsh itself, and would conflict
with the normal use of $?.  I think you could define a set function
that would do everything required, though.  (Check if argument is an
option and set it if so, check for separated = signs and join together
arguments as required.  It's actually not too difficult to write.)

>(*) "switch" statements are VERY entertaining, but possible (I think);
>    anybody care to guess how?

Please enlighten us.

-zefram