Re: Problem with pattern replacing when STRING is an expandable char

[Heinz-Ado Arnolds]

Paul Jarc wrote:
> Heinz-Ado Arnolds <arnolds@MPA-Garching.MPG.DE> wrote:
> >     a=111.1
> >     echo ${a//[0-9]/x}
> >
> >     correctly gives "xxx.x", but
> >
> >     echo ${a//[0-9]/*}
> >
> >     gives a listing of files in current directory. Seems that the "*"
> >     is expanded before replacing the pattern.
>
> No, it's expanded afterward, because the variable expansion isn't
> quoted.  This does what you want:
>     echo "${a//[0-9]/*}"
>
> >     It workes the right way at least up to bash-3.1.17(1)-release
> >
> >     But if you set
> >
> >     a=111
> >
> >     it doesn't even work in 3.1.17 right.
>
> 3.1.17 behaves the same way as 3.2.25.  You see a different result
> because of a different set of files between the two situations, not
> because of the different bash version.  If there are no files in the
> current directory that match ***.*, then pathname expansion will leave
> it unchanged.
>
>
> paul

Thanks a lot for your fast response! Ok, even after so many years
bash is astounding if you don't have all expansion rules in mind
every time.

Kind regards,

Ado