Re: Referencing empty array with "set -u" active throws error

[Chet Ramey]

> > For me, an empty string (or empty commadline) is as set or as
> > unset as an empty array.  But I don't get an "unbound error" when
> > accessing an empty string (or empty commandline), and I get one
> > when accessing an empty array.
> 
> As the man page says:
> 
> A parameter is set if it has been assigned a value.  The null string is
> a  valid  value.
> 
> Maybe I should add that an array has to have at least one index assigned
> to be considered set.
> 
> The positional parameters are a special case, since that's what Posix
> decided.

I spoke too soon again.  The manual page also says:

An  array variable is considered set if a subscript has been assigned a
value.  The null string is a valid value.

Chet

-- 
``The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne.'' - Chaucer
                 ``Ars longa, vita brevis'' - Hippocrates
Chet Ramey, ITS, CWRU    chet@case.edu    http://cnswww.cns.cwru.edu/~chet/