[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: Negative offset with variable expansion doesn't work
|
From: |
Chet Ramey |
|
Subject: |
Re: Negative offset with variable expansion doesn't work |
|
Date: |
Tue, 21 May 2002 10:43:46 -0400 |
> Reproduced with both 2.04 and 2.05:
>
> var=12345
> echo ${var:-2:2}
>
> results in
> 12345
Of course. The `:-' doesn't specify a negative offset. It has a
well-defined meaning: expand to `2:2' if `var' is unset or null. If
you want to use a negative offset in this context, use
echo ${var: -2:2}
--
``The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne.'' - Chaucer
( ``Discere est Dolere'' -- chet)
Chet Ramey, CWRU chet@po.CWRU.Edu http://cnswww.cns.cwru.edu/~chet/