read builtin function keeps trailing white space

[Eduardo Sanz Garcia]

*Configuration Information* [Automatically generated, do not change]:
Machine: i686
OS: linux-gnu
Compiler: gcc
Compilation CFLAGS:  -DPROGRAM='bash' -DCONF_HOSTTYPE='i686' 
-DCONF_OSTYPE='linux-gnu' -DCONF_MACHTYPE='i686-redhat-linux-gnu' 
-DCONF_VENDOR='redhat' -DLOCALEDIR='/usr/share/locale' -DPACKAGE='bash' 
-DSHELL -DHAVE_CONFIG_H  -I.  -I. -I./include -I./lib  
-D_LARGEFILE_SOURCE -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64 -O2 -g -pipe -m32 -march=i386 
-mtune=pentium4
uname output: Linux bighorn 2.6.9-67.0.4.ELsmp #1 SMP Sun Feb 3 07:08:57 
EST 2008 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux
Machine Type: i686-redhat-linux-gnu

Bash Version: 3.0
Patch Level: 15
Release Status: release
*
Description:*
   read builtin function keeps trailing white space when the default 
variable REPLY is used.
   This is specially bad when using the -e option because readline puts 
and extra space after pressing a the tab key to autocomplete a word.
   The IFS that delimits a word shouldn't be assigned to the variable.
*
Repeat-By:*
   Type the following:
   read
   type something with one trailing space
   echo "|$REPLY|"
   REPLY keeps the trailing white space

   Then try this other variant:
   read VAR
   type something with one trailing space
   echo "|$VAR|"
   VAR doesn't keep the trailing white space.
   This last behavior is the correct because "read" should parse 
everything by words (IFS are the delimiters and are not included).

*Additional comments:*
   This behavior cases problems, for example, if you then try to check 
the existence of a file:
       if [ -e "$REPLY" ]; then
   fails because of the trailing white space. The quotes are necessary 
to check for null.

*Fix:*
   None

Thank you very much.