Why does colors() not use %{ %}?

Why does colors() not use %{ %}?

[Richard Hartmann]

Hi all,

after a somewhat embarassing email to -users, I realized colors() does
not properly escape color codes in its variables. What is the reason
for this behaviour?

I see three possible fixes, if there is interest in such a thing:

1) Change the existing functions. This _might_ break existing stuff.

2) Introduce new associative arrays with similar names.

3) Create a second function, colors_escaped(), which can be loaded
   either additionally or instead.


It is, of course, possible that there is a good reason for not escaping
the color codes. If that is the case, I would love to learn it :)


Thanks,
Richard

Re: Why does colors() not use %{ %}?

[Philippe Troin]

"Richard Hartmann" <richih.mailinglist@gmail.com> writes:

> Hi all,
> 
> after a somewhat embarassing email to -users, I realized colors() does
> not properly escape color codes in its variables. What is the reason
> for this behaviour?

Because %{ %} is only recognized in prompt expansions.
And colors is meant to be used for more than just in the prompt.
 
Phil.

Re: Why does colors() not use %{ %}?

[Richard Hartmann]

On Sat, Jul 19, 2008 at 02:39, Philippe Troin <phil@fifi.org> wrote:

> Because %{ %} is only recognized in prompt expansions.
> And colors is meant to be used for more than just in the prompt.

True. In that case, I assume there is no interest in special
variables/another function?


Richard

Re: Why does colors() not use %{ %}?

[Bart Schaefer]

On Jul 19,  2:23am, Richard Hartmann wrote:
}
} after a somewhat embarassing email to -users, I realized colors() does
} not properly escape color codes in its variables. What is the reason
} for this behaviour?

Because prompts are not the only place you might want to use colors,
and even in a prompt it's wasteful to include the %{ and %} multiple
times if you're going to use several color sequences in a row.