Re: whence (was Re: local unfunction)

[Ray Andrews <rayandrews@eastlink.ca>]

On 31/03/18 08:25 AM, Bart Schaefer wrote:
> % whence -wm "zsh*"

$ whence -wm "zsh*"
zsh: command
zsh5.3: command        # binary
zsh5.3:: command        # text file

... I've yet to understand what the point of the '-w' switch is. I dunno 
Bart, it seems I'm the only guy who has issues with whence so perhaps I 
shouldn't belabour all this but it seems riddled with bugs to me. '-m' 
and '-a' seem to fight each other and the results are inconclusive.  
whence is important, one needs to know what is going to be executed when 
one types a command, these ifs and buts are frustrating.  My wrapper 
around whence is approaching 300 lines, and it's only purpose is to give 
one-stop shopping for what, it seems to me, whence should do anyway:

-a # keep looking after the first match (the one to be executed) is found

-m # find all matches of a pattern, subsumes '-a'  (executable ONLY 
unless ... )

-t # Show non executable (text?) files as well, obviates -a, subsumes 'm'.

-s, -S  # Expand links, even if found on 'dot' on the path.

So: 'whence -mts "zsh*" ' ... would give me one stop shopping for 
anything that is either directly executable or sourcable via path search 
(which zsh does anyway).  '-a' is actually redundant:

$ whenz zsh # Command that will be executed.

$ whenz -m zsh # Keep searching. (no pattern but so what, keep searching 
anyway.)

$ whenz -m "zsh*" # Keep searching and match the pattern too (because 
one is given).

$ whenz -mt "zsh*" # As above, but match non executables on the path as 
well.

$ whenz -mtS "zsh*" As above but show link chains, even on the 'dot', 
even on Tuesdays.

Logical?