Bug/Caveat for local variables in functions

Bug/Caveat for local variables in functions

[tim_smithers]

Hi,
     This is either a bug, or something which maybe should be noted as not
able to be done in the man page.

You can't create a local variable with the same name as a special var.

Eg:

testit()
{
    local path=foo
    echo $path
}

this echo's your path, not 'foo'. You don't get any warnings about the
assignment not working etc.

The main reason I found it was porting some shell which works in ksh and
bash to zsh compliant (which has a "path" variable).

Regards,
     - Tim




The information contained in this e-mail communication may be confidential.
You should only read, disclose, re-transmit,copy, distribute, act in
reliance on or commercialise the information if you are authorised to do
so. If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail communication,
please immediately notify us by e-mail to postmaster@mlc.com.au, or reply
by e-mail direct to the sender and then destroy any electronic and paper
copy of this message.

Any views expressed in this e-mail communication are those of the
individual sender, except where the sender specifically states them to be
the views of a member of the National Australia Bank Group of companies.

The National Australia Bank Group of companies does not represent, warrant
or guarantee that the integrity of this communication has been maintained
nor that the communication is free of errors, virus or interference.

Re: Bug/Caveat for local variables in functions

[Bart Schaefer]

On Dec 31, 12:54pm, tim_smithers@mlc.com.au wrote:
}
} You can't create a local variable with the same name as a special var.

Yes, you can.  Yout just have to tell zsh to make the local non-special.

    testit()
    {
	local -h path=foo
	echo $path
    }


} testit()
} {
}     local path=foo
}     echo $path
} }
} 
} this echo's your path, not 'foo'. You don't get any warnings about the
} assignment not working etc.

What version of zsh do you have?  Without the -h option, I get this:

testit:local:2: path: can't assign initial value for array

} The main reason I found it was porting some shell which works in ksh and
} bash to zsh compliant (which has a "path" variable).

Usually the quickest way to do this is just to place

    emulate -L sh

at the top of the script.  If you're really _porting_ to native zsh mode,
rather than wanting to have zsh execute a Bourne shell script, then you
may have a lot more changes to make than just adding -h to locals.  For
example, you're probably also going to have to change variable references
from $VAR to $=VAR (when not quoted), to get sh-style word splitting.

-- 
Bart Schaefer                                 Brass Lantern Enterprises
http://www.well.com/user/barts              http://www.brasslantern.com

Zsh: http://www.zsh.org | PHPerl Project: http://phperl.sourceforge.net