*Configuration Information* [Automatically generated, do not change]:
Machine: i686
OS: linux-gnu
Compiler: gcc
Compilation CFLAGS: -DPROGRAM='bash' -DCONF_HOSTTYPE='i686'
-DCONF_OSTYPE='linux-gnu' -DCONF_MACHTYPE='i686-redhat-linux-gnu'
-DCONF_VENDOR='redhat' -DLOCALEDIR='/usr/share/locale' -DPACKAGE='bash'
-DSHELL -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I. -I. -I./include -I./lib
-D_LARGEFILE_SOURCE -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64 -O2 -g -pipe -m32 -march=i386
-mtune=pentium4
uname output: Linux bighorn 2.6.9-67.0.4.ELsmp #1 SMP Sun Feb 3 07:08:57
EST 2008 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux
Machine Type: i686-redhat-linux-gnu
Bash Version: 3.0
Patch Level: 15
Release Status: release
*
Description:*
read builtin function keeps trailing white space when the default
variable REPLY is used.
This is specially bad when using the -e option because readline puts
and extra space after pressing a the tab key to autocomplete a word.
The IFS that delimits a word shouldn't be assigned to the variable.
*
Repeat-By:*
Type the following:
read
type something with one trailing space
echo "|$REPLY|"
REPLY keeps the trailing white space
Then try this other variant:
read VAR
type something with one trailing space
echo "|$VAR|"
VAR doesn't keep the trailing white space.
This last behavior is the correct because "read" should parse
everything by words (IFS are the delimiters and are not included).
*Additional comments:*
This behavior cases problems, for example, if you then try to check
the existence of a file:
if [ -e "$REPLY" ]; then
fails because of the trailing white space. The quotes are necessary
to check for null.
*Fix:*
None
Thank you very much.
