Re: triviality regarding $# counts

[Ray Andrews <rayandrews@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I dunno.  I've lost the example that I saved. Never mind, I'll keep an eye on it, and figure out next time. Red herring for now.  It's a bit confusing looking into typeset -p output. All this 'splitting' stuff is not simple. For now everything works and I'm quite sure it's a bit more orthodox.
>
>    
>     
    A script:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    redline () { echo -e "$red$@$nrm" }
    
    typeset -ga aaa=("
    abc
    
        def ghi
        jkl mno
    
        pqr
    ")
    
    redline "\naaa:"
    print -l $aaa
    redline "\naaa[1]:"
    print -l $aaa[1]
    redline "linecount of aaa is: $#aaa ... Single element!"
    
    ccc=( ${(@f)aaa} )
    
    redline '\nccc=( ${(@f)aaa} )'
    print -l $ccc
    redline "linecount of ccc is: $#ccc ... split, but blank lines
    gone."
    
    ddd=( "${(@f)aaa}" )
    
    redline '\nddd=( "${(@f)aaa}" ) ... it seems like a lot of trouble
    to copy the array as it is.'
    print -l "$ddd[@]"  #... don't forget the quotes, idiot!"
    redline "linecount of ddd is: $#ddd ... split, but blanks preserved
    and counted. NB EIGHT NOT SIX!"
    
    redline "\nddd[1]: That's right it's blank, just as it should be."
    print -l $ddd[1]
    redline "\nddd[2]:"
    print -l $ddd[2]
    
    redline "And now the typesets\n"
    typeset -p aaa
    typeset -p ccc
    typeset -p ddd
    
    # Verbatim:
    
    # typeset -a aaa=( $'\nabc\n\n\tdef ghi\n\tjkl mno\n\n\tpqr\n' )
    # typeset -a ccc=( abc $'\tdef ghi' $'\tjkl mno' $'\tpqr' )
    # typeset -a ddd=( '' abc '' $'\tdef ghi' $'\tjkl mno' '' $'\tpqr'
    '' )
    
    # Aligned: Note the steeenking dollars ;-) ... and how they seem to
    replace the newlines. No?
    
    # typeset -a aaa=( $'\nabc  \n\n\tdef ghi  \n\tjkl mno  
    \n\n\tpqr\n' )     #Original with blanks
    # typeset -a ccc=(     abc    $'\tdef ghi' $'\tjkl mno   ' $'\tpqr'
    )           #No blanks.
    # typeset -a ddd=(  '' abc '' $'\tdef ghi' $'\tjkl mno' '' $'\tpqr'
    '' )    #Blanks retained BUT not the same structure!
    
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    ... so what about the dollars?
    
    Anyway, it comes clear: '${(@f)....}' doesn't ADD (or retain)
    newlines it removes them!  (Tho splitting the array where they used
    to be.) Doesn't need them cuz elements aren't separated by newlines
    (like I thought) but by ... however it's done.  Single quotes
    indicate elements.  And, best of all, copying an array, blanks and
    all, (not shown above) turns out to be simple:
    
    eee=( $aaa ) and:
    
    eee=( "{$(@f)aaa}" )
    
    ... turns out to be a false equivalence where newlines are REMOVED. 
    Don't be fooled by 'printf' -- it might not show you the genuine
    state of the array.  Scalars show their blank lines automatically
    but we need: 
    
    print -l -- "$eee[@]"
    
    ... with arrays.  Trust typedef -p.