How to initialize a read-only, global, associative array in Bash?

[Tim Friske]

Hi folks,

I execute the following code in Bash version "GNU bash, Version
4.2.39(1)-release (x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu)":

function foobar {
  declare -rgA FOOBAR=([foo]=bar)
}
foobar
declare -p FOOBAR
# Output: declare -Ar FOOBAR='()'

Why doesn't Bash initialize FOOBAR with ([foo]=bar) according to
declare -p? The same declaration works outside of a function, e.g.

declare -rgA FOOBAR=([foo]=bar)
declare -p FOOBAR
# Output: declare -Ar FOOBAR='([foo]="bar" )'

Similarly the following code but without FOOBAR being read-only works:

function foobar {
  declare -gA FOOBAR
  FOOBAR=([foo]=bar)
}
foobar
declare -p FOOBAR
# Output: declare -A FOOBAR='([foo]="bar" )'

Is this a bug or feature?

Cheers,
Tim

BTW: I couldn't find a "bashbug" RPM package in the Fedora 17
repositories; that's why I wrote this formless mail. Sorry for that.
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