bash: exclamation mark is not literal within double quotes

[rn214]

Configuration Information [Automatically generated, do not change]:
Machine: i586
OS: linux-gnu
Compiler: gcc
Compilation CFLAGS:  -DPROGRAM='bash' -DCONF_HOSTTYPE='i586' 
-DCONF_OSTYPE='linux-gnu' -DCONF_MACHTYPE='i586-mandrake-linux-gnu' 
-DCONF_VENDOR='mandrake' -DSHELL -DHAVE_CONFIG_H  -I.  -I.. -I../include 
-I../lib -D_GNU_SOURCE  -O2 -fomit-frame-pointer -pipe -march=i586 
-mtune=pentiumpro 
uname output: Linux mocha.baddiant.org.uk 2.6.8.1-12mdksmp #1 SMP Fri Oct 1 
11:24:45 CEST 2004 i686 Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz unknown GNU/Linux
Machine Type: i586-mandrake-linux-gnu

Bash Version: 2.05b
Patch Level: 0
Release Status: release

Description:
        Error in the documentation. The manual says:

       >>  Enclosing  characters  in  double quotes preserves the literal value 
of
       >>  all characters within the quotes, with the exception of $,  `,  and  
\.
       >>  The  characters  $  and  `  retain  their special meaning within 
double
       >>  quotes.  The backslash retains its special meaning only  when  
followed
       >>  by one of the following characters: $, `, ", \, or <newline>.  A 
double
       >>  quote may be quoted within double quotes by preceding it with  a  
back-
       >>  slash.

        This is not true. For example according to the above, 

                echo "foo!bar"

        should yield exactly the same result as

                echo 'foo!bar'

        i.e., it should print 

                foo!bar

        yet it does not. It generates an error message: 
                
                 bash: !bar": event not found



Repeat-By:
        Double quoting an exclamation mark (except when it is followed by a 
space)

Fix:
        Since this behaviour is intentional (history expansion), it is a 
documentation bug. 
        I'd like to see 3 changes:

        1)Fix the documentation  on double quoting to explain that ! is not 
literal 
        within double quotes

        2)Allow ! to be escaped with backslash. Eg:

                echo "foo\!bar"


        3)The error generated above "event not found" isn't very informative to 
a user who is expecting
        a double-quoted literal exclamation mark. Perhaps it could be clearer?


Thank you very much

Richard