eval a=b\ c

[dave]

Configuration Information [Automatically generated, do not change]:
Machine: x86_64
OS: linux-gnu
Compiler: gcc
Compilation CFLAGS:  -DPROGRAM='bash' -DCONF_HOSTTYPE='x86_64' 
-DCONF_OSTYPE='linux-gnu' -DCONF_MACHTYPE='x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu' 
-DCONF_VENDOR='unknown' -DLOCALEDIR='/usr/local/bash/4.3.39/share/locale' 
-DPACKAGE='bash' -DSHELL -DHAVE_CONFIG_H   -I.  -I../bash-4.3 
-I../bash-4.3/include -I../bash-4.3/lib   -g -O2
uname output: Linux s6.millcomputing.com 2.6.32-504.16.2.el6.x86_64 #1 SMP Wed 
Apr 22 06:48:29 UTC 2015 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
Machine Type: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu

Bash Version: 4.3
Patch Level: 39
Release Status: release

Description:

# Echo the arguments, then execute them as a command.
function echodo() {
  if [[ -n $ZSH_VERSION ]] ; then
    echo "[ ${(q)@} ]"
    eval    ${(q)@}
  else
    echo "[ $@ ]"
    eval    $@
  fi
}
echodo echo b\ c
echodo a=b\ c
echo $a

The result in zsh is:
  $ echodo echo b\ c
  [ echo b\ c ]
  b c
  $ echodo a=b\ c
  [ a=b\ c ]
  $ echo $a
  b c
  $

Bash gets an error:
  $ echodo echo b\ c
  [ echo b c ]
  b c
  $ echodo a=b\ c
  [ a=b c ]
  bash: c: command not found
  $ echo $a
  
  $

I can't find a way to implement echodo in bash. Apparently this is because bash 
is unable to expand a variable with quoting intact, as zsh can do with its (q) 
expansion flag.

Bash behaves differently in this case::

  $ echodo export a=b\ c
  [ export a=b c ]
  $ echo $a
  b
  $


Repeat-By:



Fix: