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Aardvark Mark IV


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ID Category Severity Type Date Submitted Last Update
0001297 [1003.1(2016/18)/Issue7+TC2] Shell and Utilities Editorial Enhancement Request 2019-10-15 03:23 2019-12-12 17:28
Reporter kre View Status public  
Assigned To
Priority normal Resolution Duplicate  
Status Closed  
Name Robert Elz
Organization
User Reference
Section 2.6
Page Number 2353
Line Number 75008-10
Interp Status ---
Final Accepted Text
Summary 0001297: Potentially misleading wording wrt removal of empty fields
Description A non-English speaking reader justified an implementation doing

    set -- ''
    set -- X $* Y
    echo $#
    2

vs

    set -- '' ''
    set -- X $* Y
    echo $#
    4

based upon the wording in XCU 2.6:

        If the complete expansion appropriate for a word results in an
        empty field, that empty field shall be deleted from the list of
        fields that form the completely expanded command, [...]

the reasoning being that in the 2nd case above, there is not "an empty field"
there are 2 empty fields produced from the expansion of the word "$*" and
thus there is no expectation/requirement that anything be deleted.

I do not believe that the wording was intended to produce that result, or
that any native English speaker/reader would interpret the language that
way, while "an" (or "a") is used in the singular, it is not imperative
singular in a case like this.

However we should not be targeting just native English speakers in the
standard, and it would be harmless to write explicitly what this actually
means, so:
Desired Action Assuming they still remain after all the other changes that have
been made, change the words in XCU 2.6 page 2353 line 75008 from

    If the complete expansion appropriate for a word results in an
    empty field, that empty field shall be deleted from

to

    Any empty field that results from the complete expansion appropriate
    for a word shall be deleted from

(or something similar with a similar intent). If the relevant text has
been altered by some other bug report, make sure that the intended replacement
does not have a similar problem.
Tags No tags attached.
Attached Files

- Relationships
duplicate of 0001123Applied 1003.1(2013)/Issue7+TC1 Problematic specification of execution environment for word expansions 

-  Notes
(0004622)
geoffclare (manager)
2019-10-15 10:10

Your stated assumption (in the Desired Action) is false. The text in question is being deleted by bug 0001123

- Issue History
Date Modified Username Field Change
2019-10-15 03:23 kre New Issue
2019-10-15 03:23 kre Name => Robert Elz
2019-10-15 03:23 kre Section => 2.6
2019-10-15 03:23 kre Page Number => 2353
2019-10-15 03:23 kre Line Number => 75008-10
2019-10-15 10:10 geoffclare Note Added: 0004622
2019-10-15 10:11 geoffclare Relationship added duplicate of 0001123
2019-12-12 17:28 geoffclare Interp Status => ---
2019-12-12 17:28 geoffclare Status New => Closed
2019-12-12 17:28 geoffclare Resolution Open => Duplicate


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