* Just to make sure I'm understanding it... @ 2003-08-06 19:35 DervishD 2003-08-07 9:56 ` Peter Stephenson 0 siblings, 1 reply; 3+ messages in thread From: DervishD @ 2003-08-06 19:35 UTC (permalink / raw) To: Zsh Hi all :)) I'm reading some zsh functions I have here, just for learning some more of zsh. Heck, I *really* like this shell... Well, in function 'insert-files' there is a line, just at the beginning, that reads 'files=( *(N) )', and I want to make sure I understand it. Since it starts with a parenthesis, it is (AFAIK) a candidate for filename generation. The asterisk seems to be the pattern an the 'N' in the parentheses is a glob qualifier (namely the 'set NULL_GLOB for this pattern' qualifier). What I don't understand is, why the spaces around the pattern and the qualifier? Am I missing anything else? Am I plainly wrong? Thanks a lot in advance. Really the power of zsh is far bigger than I expected when I switched to it ;)) Raúl Núñez de Arenas Coronado -- Linux Registered User 88736 http://www.pleyades.net & http://raul.pleyades.net/ ^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 3+ messages in thread
* Re: Just to make sure I'm understanding it... 2003-08-06 19:35 Just to make sure I'm understanding it DervishD @ 2003-08-07 9:56 ` Peter Stephenson 2003-08-07 10:33 ` DervishD 0 siblings, 1 reply; 3+ messages in thread From: Peter Stephenson @ 2003-08-07 9:56 UTC (permalink / raw) To: Zsh DervishD wrote: > Well, in function 'insert-files' there is a line, just at the > beginning, that reads 'files=( *(N) )', and I want to make sure I > understand it. Since it starts with a parenthesis, it is (AFAIK) a > candidate for filename generation. The asterisk seems to be the > pattern an the 'N' in the parentheses is a glob qualifier (namely the > 'set NULL_GLOB for this pattern' qualifier). What I don't understand > is, why the spaces around the pattern and the qualifier? They're optional, they're just there for readability. files=(*(N)) will work but looks like the logo of a secret society. What you're probably missing is the the outer parentheses are there to turn the assignment into an array assignment, they're nothing to do with globbing. In this case the place where you can't have spaces is around the `='. files=( *(N) ) works, too. It's one of the advantages of arrays --- you can make the assignments much neater. However, files=*(N) *doesn't* work. The right hand side of normal assignment doesn't do globbing (unless you have the option GLOB_ASSIGN set, which we don't recommend). This was changed a while ago: the problem was that if there were multiple matches, an array assignment was done, while if there was just one, because of the use of scalar syntax a scalar assignment was done. The new arrangement (with GLOB_ASSIGN unset) is much neater. -- Peter Stephenson <pws@csr.com> Software Engineer CSR Ltd., Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WH, UK Tel: +44 (0)1223 692070 ********************************************************************** The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer. ********************************************************************** ^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 3+ messages in thread
* Re: Just to make sure I'm understanding it... 2003-08-07 9:56 ` Peter Stephenson @ 2003-08-07 10:33 ` DervishD 0 siblings, 0 replies; 3+ messages in thread From: DervishD @ 2003-08-07 10:33 UTC (permalink / raw) To: Peter Stephenson; +Cc: Zsh Hi Peter :) * Peter Stephenson <pws@csr.com> dixit: > > is, why the spaces around the pattern and the qualifier? > They're optional, they're just there for readability. OK, nice. I thought that it had to do with something about the globbing... > What you're > probably missing is the the outer parentheses are there to turn the > assignment into an array assignment, they're nothing to do with > globbing. Oops. I thought that they where there for introducing a filename generation. I thought I read it in the manual, but I'm not sure... Yes, I know. In the manual says that if a word contains an unquoted instance of a '*', '(', etc... it is regarded as a pattern for filename generation, and I interpreted (wrongly) that 'if a word starts'. My fault, sorry O:) > The new arrangement (with GLOB_ASSIGN unset) is much neater. Yes, you're true. Well, thanks a lot again for your fast and informative answer. I'm just amazed about how powerful zsh is, and learning all that power is difficult (at least for me), so is very comforting for me to know that zsh gurus like you give a helping hand to zsh clueless (like me) ;))) Free software is fantastic. Raúl Núñez de Arenas Coronado -- Linux Registered User 88736 http://www.pleyades.net & http://raul.pleyades.net/ ^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 3+ messages in thread
end of thread, other threads:[~2003-08-07 10:32 UTC | newest] Thread overview: 3+ messages (download: mbox.gz / follow: Atom feed) -- links below jump to the message on this page -- 2003-08-06 19:35 Just to make sure I'm understanding it DervishD 2003-08-07 9:56 ` Peter Stephenson 2003-08-07 10:33 ` DervishD
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