Re: [bug-gawk] syntax error when setting RS via string concatenation

[Ed Morton]

and now so do I :-). thanks.


On 5/9/2016 8:41 AM, address@hidden wrote:
> Andy's got it.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Arnold
>
> "Andrew J. Schorr" <address@hidden> wrote:
>
> > On Mon, May 09, 2016 at 08:16:17AM -0500, Ed Morton wrote:
> > > I didn't expect to get this syntax error when setting RS via string 
> > > concatenation:
> > >
> > >      $ awk 'BEGIN{RS="[x"; RS=RS"]"}'
> > >      awk: cmd. line:1: fatal: Unmatched [, [^, [:, [., or [=: /[x/
> > >
> > > as opposed to setting it to a variable constructed by the same string 
> > > concatenation
> > >
> > >      $ awk 'BEGIN{t="[x"; t=t"]"; RS=t}'
> > >      $
> > >
> > > Is that a bug or a feature (and if so, what feature?).
> > I think it's a feature. Consider this:
> >
> > bash-4.2$ ./gawk 'BEGIN {RS = "[x"}'
> > gawk: cmd. line:1: fatal: Unmatched [, [^, [:, [., or [=: /[x/
> >
> > Why should setting RS to an invalid regexp succeed? There is no way for gawk to
> > know that it should ignore RS because you plan to fix it later.
> >
> > Your workaround using a temporary variable seems to be the
> > correct solution.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Andy