Another important part occurs earlier in "Parameter Expansion" andcan admittedly be hard to find:
Yes. Seems almost inevitable that with such terse syntax normal
search
culture is going to be frustrating. One must master the shell's jargon.
I wonder if a syntax index could be contemplated, it would look rather strange:
$(
$((
$~
${~
if[
if[[
... every last construction.
This is why you can use $~foo instead of ${~foo} sometimes.
I've noticed that but I don't even try to understand it. I am in
awe of the
geniuses who wrote the parser. The list of ifs, ands, buts and
maybes is
not for a mere mortal to understand. That's what accretion gets
you -- couldn't
be otherwise.
That just refers to the result of the parameter expansion beingsubsequently used as something other than a literal value, if the context calls for it.
God knows. It's a steep hill to climb if you're not familiar
with it. Anyway I'm
at least alert to the issue.
Tx.