Re: [bug-gawk] Unstated differences between gawk and POSIX

[Ed Morton]

FYI we now have related tickets at the Open Group 
(https://help.opengroup.org/hc/en-us/requests/193457) and the Austin Group 
(http://austingroupbugs.net/view.php?id=1198). The Open Group one only staff can 
see, the Austin Group one is visible to anyone but requires a login to comment on.

    Ed.

On 8/5/2018 7:05 AM, Ed Morton wrote:
> Arnold - Thanks for getting back to me. I don’t think anyone’s getting excited 
> about this in the slightest and I’ll google how to file an interpretation 
> request with the Open Group, thanks for the suggestion.
>
> Ed Morton
>
> > On Aug 5, 2018, at 2:53 AM, address@hidden wrote:
> >
> > Hi Ed.
> >
> > I saw your earlier note also but have not had time to read the comp.lang.awk
> > thred in detail.
> >
> > Ed Morton <address@hidden> wrote:
> >
> > > OK, so apparently gawk really doesn't behave per the POSIX standard when
> > > comparing numeric-string to numeric-string:
> > >
> > > In the Expressions In Awk
> > > <http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/utilities/awk.html#tag_20_06_13_02>
> > > section POSIX says:
> > >
> > >     Comparisons (with the '<', "<=", "!=", "==", '>', and ">=" operators) shall
> > >     be made numerically if both operands are numeric, if one is numeric and the
> > >     other has a string value that is a numeric string, or if one is numeric and
> > >     the other has the uninitialized value. Otherwise, operands shall be
> > >     converted to strings as required and a string comparison shall be made
> > The text in POSIX is bogus. The intent and prior art are that as soon as one
> > operand is a numeric string then a numeric comparison is done. Otherwise
> > something as basic as
> >
> >     echo 5.0 10.0 | awk '{ print ($1 < $2) }'
> >
> > would print 0.
> >
> > You might want to file an interpretation request with the Open Group.
> >
> > I see no reason to:
> >
> > - get excited
> > - change gawk's behavior
> > - issue any warnings
> > - or update any documentation (except maybe POSIX.STD)
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Arnold