Re: your mail

[bmarcum@iglou.com (Bill Marcum)]

On Tue, Feb 22, 2005 at 11:41:37AM -0800, Christopher Buckley wrote:
> Package: Bash
> Version: 2.03.0(1)
> 
> But then
> 
> root@server# set pat="anypath"
> root@server# t one two three
> testresults = pat=anypath one two three
> 
> root@server# unset pat
> root@server# t one two three
> testresults = pat=anypath one two three
> 
> 
> Why is my last set command appearing as an argument???
 
The command "unset pat" deletes a variable named pat.  In bash, 
"set pat=anypath" does not create a "pat" variable, it creates a 
parameter $1 which contains the string "pat=anypath".

> 
> Finally, this doesn't appear to work either
> 
> root@server# alias t='echo test results = $@ and thats it'
> root@server# t one two three
> testresults = and thats it one two three
> 
> 
> Why aren't the arguments appearing before the "and thats it" as they
> "should"?
> 

If you wrote:
 alias t='echo test results = '
 t one two three

you would still get:
test results = one two three

The substitution of '$@' in the alias occurs before the line is executed.

Thus if you write:
 set four five
 alias t='echo test results = $@ and thats it'
 t one two three

you would get:
 testresults = four five and thats it one two three

For anything beyond simple substitution of a command name, you might 
consider using a function instead of an alias.