Force globbing inside of parameter substitution

Force globbing inside of parameter substitution

[Andrej Borsenkow]

Suppose, I need a list of files sperated by comma. The straightforward way
would be something like

${(j/,/)${:-*}}

Unfortunately, it does not work - it simply results in single `*'.

Using ${(j/,/)$(print *)} does _almost_ wat I'd like ... with two caveats:

1. the file names with spaces are mangled
2. it is potentially less efficient.

Is the use of temporary array the only possibility? (I am mostly interested
in interactive usage, where it should go into one command line).

As a side note: it looks, like GLOB_SUBST does not apply in the above case.
I have globsubst off, but the result of ${:-*} is still globbed. Is it
intentional? I would deem it as a bug.

/andrej

Re: Force globbing inside of parameter substitution

[Bart Schaefer]

On Jun 1,  4:11pm, Andrej Borsenkow wrote:
} Subject: Force globbing inside of parameter substitution
}
} Suppose, I need a list of files sperated by comma.

	"${(j/,/)${(f)$(print -rl -- *)}}"

You probably don't need the `-r' or the `--', but I'm paranoid.

} ${(j/,/)${:-*}}
} 
} Unfortunately, it does not work - it simply results in single `*'.

Yes ... filename generation always happens after parameter expansion.

} As a side note: it looks, like GLOB_SUBST does not apply in the above case.
} I have globsubst off, but the result of ${:-*} is still globbed. Is it
} intentional? I would deem it as a bug.

The stuff on the RHS of :- (and :+ etc.) is treated as if it were outside
the ${ } for purposes of tokenization.  That's why POSIX permits quotes
to appear inside the braces: so you can do stuff like ${1+"$@"}.  I should
have remembered that when I brought up quoting yesterday.

Interestingly, ${(e):-*} produces an untokenized * (which is not globbed).
I'd be more inclined to call _that_ a bug.

} Using ${(j/,/)$(print *)} does _almost_ wat I'd like ... with two caveats:
} 
} 1. the file names with spaces are mangled

Quoting and print -rl should deal with that.  You don't have any file
names with newlines, do you?

} 2. it is potentially less efficient.

Yes.

} Is the use of temporary array the only possibility?

The only way to avoid a $(...), yes.

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