Re: Why escape char `:' with `\' when auto completing filenames?

[Maarten Billemont]

On 17 Feb 2011, at 23:02, Chet Ramey wrote:
> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> "Clark J. Wang" <dearvoid@gmail.com> writes:
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> I think char `:' is not special in bash.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> $ printf "%q\n" "$COMP_WORDBREAKS"
>>>>>>> $' \t\n"\'><=;|&(:'
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I don't think that explain the issue.
>>>>> 
>>>>>  /* characters that need to be quoted when appearing in filenames. */
>>>>> rl_filename_quote_characters = " \t\n\\\"'@<>=;|&()#$`?*[!:{~";
>>>>> /*}*/
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>> So that's  problem. I don't think @=: need to be treated specially. Any
>>>> reason?
>>> 
>>> They are used as word break characters during completion.
>>> 
>>> 
>> That's the way it's implemented but that does not mean that's reasonable.
> 
> For pete's sake.  If you don't think they should be word break characters,
> modify the value of COMP_WORDBREAKS.  For the record, @ causes a word break
> so you can complete hostnames more easily, = breaks so you can complete
> filenames on the rhs of assignment statements, and : breaks so you can
> complete filenames in words that look like $PATH.
> 
> Are we really spending this much time on a cosmetic issue?

Why are we escaping all word break characters? rm file:name and rm file\:name 
are effectively identical, I'm not sure I see the need for escaping it.