In POSIX mode, ${#var} measures length in bytes, not characters

[Martijn Dekker <martijn@xxxxxxxx>]

When in 'emulate sh' mode, ${#var} substitutes the length of the
variable in bytes, not characters. This is contrary to the standard; the
length in characters is supposed to be substituted.[*]

Oddly enough, zsh is POSIX compliant here in native mode, but
non-compliant in POSIX mode.

Confirmed in zsh 4.3.11 (Mac OS X), 5.0.2 (Linux) and 5.0.8 (Mac OS X).

$ zsh
% locale
LANG="nl_NL.UTF-8"
LC_COLLATE="nl_NL.UTF-8"
LC_CTYPE="nl_NL.UTF-8"
LC_MESSAGES="nl_NL.UTF-8"
LC_MONETARY="nl_NL.UTF-8"
LC_NUMERIC="nl_NL.UTF-8"
LC_TIME="nl_NL.UTF-8"
LC_ALL=
% mot=arrêté
% echo ${#mot}
6
% emulate sh
% echo ${#mot}
8

- Martijn

[*] Reference:
http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/utilities/V3_chap02.html#tag_18_06_02
> ${#parameter}
>     String Length. The length in characters of the value of parameter
>     shall be substituted. [...]