Re: Documenting $(( foo )) as similar to $(( ($foo) ))

[Bart Schaefer <schaefer@brasslantern.com>]

On Thu, Feb 15, 2024 at 9:46 PM Lawrence Velázquez <larryv@zsh.org> wrote:
>
> I just noticed that Bart added the following text to zshmisc(1):
>
>         If the expansion of $val1 is text rather than a number,
>         then when val1 is referenced that text is itself evaluated
>         as a math expression as if surrounded by parentheses
>         `($val1)'.
>
> I assumed that Mikael's comparison of foo with ($foo) was meant to
> be an analogy, so I didn't nitpick it at the time, but I worry that
> this addition to the documentation could be misconstrued

It was my hope/expectation that "as if" would be adequate there.  Note
that in that paragraph we're talking about how val1 works WITHOUT a $
prefix whereas here here you have it WITH a $ prefix:

> ...just because this is valid (if ill-advised):
>
>         % print $((($foo)))
>         3

The latter is only "valid" because of order-of-operations effects, the
inner $foo is expanded before the outer $(( )).

If you can suggest a better way to express "expansion of $val1 is
text" please do.  I rejected "the value of val1" because prior
sentences already refer to "the value" as the result after arithmetic
occurs whereas here we want to refer to the string before arithmetic.