zero- vs one- based array indexing?

zero- vs one- based array indexing?

[Greg Klanderman]

Can someone give me a quick history of why zsh defaults to one-based
array indexing?  Bash and ksh appear to use zero-based indexing, and
probably most CS types prefer that too.  Would it be OK to add an
option to control just zero-based arrays separately from the other
changes KSHARRAYS brings?

thanks,
Greg

Re: zero- vs one- based array indexing?

[Peter Stephenson]

Greg Klanderman wrote:
> Can someone give me a quick history of why zsh defaults to one-based
> array indexing?  Bash and ksh appear to use zero-based indexing, and
> probably most CS types prefer that too.

Basically from csh, I think.  Arrays were a bit of an afterthought in
earlier Bourne-style shells, so zsh didn't take much notice.

> Would it be OK to add an
> option to control just zero-based arrays separately from the other
> changes KSHARRAYS brings?

It's far too late for this.  Encouraging people to use anything other
than native zsh or ksh emulation would be a disaster, multiplying our
problems yet more and solving nothing.

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Peter Stephenson <pws@csr.com>            Software Engineer
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