options glob_assign/magic_equal_subst

options glob_assign/magic_equal_subst

[Geoff Wing]

Heyla,
 is option "magic_equal_subst" now obsolete and renamed/replaced by 
 "glob_assign" with a slightly different functionality and implementation? 
 I was checking my old versions 2.5.0/2.5.03 and it didn't seem to work
 there anyway!  Perhaps my understanding of it is insufficient.
 Anyone care to give an example?

Also, 
% zsh -f
% T=*
% echo $T
*
% T=*<TAB>
  globs on files.  I am very dubious about the correctness of this.


The whole section on glob_assign could use some rewriting for clarification.
I only know its exact behaviour from reading the articles months ago about
it when it was implemented.

>From zshoptions.1:
              GLOB_ASSIGN
                     If this option is set,  filename  generation
                     is  performed  on  the  right  hand  side of
                     parameter assignments.  If  the  result  has
                     more  than  one  words  the  parameter  will
		                      ^^^^^ typo
                     become  an  array.  This  was  the   default
                     behaviour  in earlier versions of zsh but it
                     is incompatible with sh and ksh. Also it  is
                     not  possible  to tell in advance wheter the
		                                       ^^^^^^ typo
                     result will be a scalar or  an  array.  This
                     option is provided for backwards compatibil-
                     ity only. Globbing is  always  performed  on
                     the  right hand side of name=( value ) array
                     assignments regardless of this option.
              MAGIC_EQUAL_SUBST
                     All  unquoted  arguments of the from identi-
		     				     ^^^^ typo
                     fier=expression  have  file  expansion  per-
                     formed on expression as if it were a parame-
                     ter assignment, although the argument is not
                     otherwise treated specially.

-- 
Geoff Wing [mason@primenet.com.au]   PrimeNet - Internet Consultancy
  Web: http://www.primenet.com.au/   Facsimile: +61-3-9819 3788

Re: options glob_assign/magic_equal_subst

[Peter Stephenson]

Geoff Wing wrote:
> Heyla,
>  is option "magic_equal_subst" now obsolete and renamed/replaced by 
>  "glob_assign" with a slightly different functionality and implementation? 
>  I was checking my old versions 2.5.0/2.5.03 and it didn't seem to work
>  there anyway!  Perhaps my understanding of it is insufficient.
>  Anyone care to give an example?

Perhaps the revised manual entry below makes it clearer.

*** Doc/zshoptions.man.ass	Thu Sep  5 22:11:07 1996
--- Doc/zshoptions.man	Tue Sep 24 17:31:04 1996
***************
*** 202,215 ****
  Perform filename generation.
  .TP
  \fBGLOB_ASSIGN\fP
! If this option is set, \fIfilename generation\fP is performed on the right
! hand side of parameter assignments. If the result has more than one words
! the parameter will become an array. This was the default behaviour in
! earlier versions of \fBzsh\fP but it is incompatible with \fBsh\fP and
! \fBksh\fP. Also it is not possible to tell in advance wheter the result
! will be a scalar or an array. This option is provided for backwards
! compatibility only. Globbing is always performed on the right hand side of
! \fIname\fB=( \fIvalue\fB )\fR array assignments regardless of this option.
  .TP
  \fBGLOB_COMPLETE\fP
  When the current word has a glob pattern, do not insert all the words
--- 202,217 ----
  Perform filename generation.
  .TP
  \fBGLOB_ASSIGN\fP
! If this option is set, \fIfilename generation\fP (globbing) is
! performed on the right hand side of scalar parameter assignments of
! the form \fIname\fB=\fIpattern\fB (e.g. `param=*'). If the result has
! more than one word the parameter will become an array with those words
! as arguments. This option is provided for backwards compatibility
! only: globbing is always performed on the right hand side of array
! assignments of the form `\fIname\fB=( \fIvalue\fB )\fR'
! (e.g. `param=(*)') and this form is recommended for clarity;  with this
! option set, it is not possible to predict whether the result will be
! an array or a scalar.
  .TP
  \fBGLOB_COMPLETE\fP
  When the current word has a glob pattern, do not insert all the words
***************
*** 327,336 ****
  List jobs in the long format by default.
  .TP
  \fBMAGIC_EQUAL_SUBST\fP
! All unquoted arguments of the from \fIidentifier\fB=\fIexpression\fR
! have file expansion performed on \fIexpression\fR as if it were a
! parameter assignment, although the argument is not otherwise treated
! specially.
  .TP
  \fBMAIL_WARNING\fP (\-\fBU\fP)
  Print a warning message if a mail file has been
--- 329,340 ----
  List jobs in the long format by default.
  .TP
  \fBMAGIC_EQUAL_SUBST\fP
! All unquoted arguments of the form \fIidentifier\fB=\fIexpression\fR
! appearing after the command name have filename expansion (that is,
! where \fIexpression\fR has a leading `~' or `=') performed on
! \fIexpression\fR as if it were a parameter assignment. The argument is
! not otherwise treated specially: in other words, it is subsequently
! treated as a single word, not as an assignment.
  .TP
  \fBMAIL_WARNING\fP (\-\fBU\fP)
  Print a warning message if a mail file has been