Doesn't MY_ENV=abc printf "${MY_ENV}\n" suppose to print abc?

[Shaul Karl <shaul@actcom.net.il>]

Package: bash
Version: 2.05b-8.1

  According to my understanding of the manual page,

    $ MY_ENV=abc printf "${MY_ENV}\n"

Should have print abc. But it does not:

    $ MY_ENV=abc printf "${MY_ENV}\n"

    $

What am I missing?


-- System Information:
Debian Release: testing/unstable
Architecture: i386
Kernel: Linux rakefet 2.4.21-3.custom586.1 #1 Fri Aug 1 21:48:39 IDT 200
Locale: LANG=C, LC_CTYPE=C

Versions of packages bash depends on:
ii  base-files                3.0.8          Debian base system miscella
ii  libc6                     2.3.1-16       GNU C Library: Shared libra
ii  libncurses5               5.3.20030510-2 Shared libraries for termin

-- no debconf information

-- 

    Shaul Karl,    shaul @ actcom . net . il