Re: style of assignment to variable changes command selection

[Jan Schampera]

Bob Proulx wrote:

> This implies to me that a variable assignment forces subsequent
> commands to be external commands because the current environment is
> not affected.  In your case above the external /usr/bin/time program
> is forced by the variable assignment requiring the environment
> variable set for it.

I think the hint is in the difference of a (grammar-)"pipeline" and a
"simple command". The variable assignment to change the environment of
the called program is part of the simple command. The time keyword is
part of the pipeline syntax. I think the correct way to do that is:

time X=x foocommand

since

X=x time foocommand

implies that this is a simple command.


Jan