Package: bash
Version: 4.3-2
Severity: minor
X-Debbugs-Cc: bug-bash@gnu.org
According to the manual, either the function keyword or parentheses should be
sufficient to define a function:
Shell Function Definitions
A shell function is an object that is called like a simple command and
executes a compound command with a new set of positional parameters. Shell
functions are declared as follows:
name () compound-command [redirection]
function name [()] compound-command [redirection]
This defines a function named name. The reserved word function is optional. If
the function reserved word is supplied, the parentheses are optional. The body
of the function is the compound command compound-command (see Compound
Commands above). That command is usually a list of commands between { and },
but may be any command listed under Compound Commands above. compound-command
is executed whenever name is specified as the name of a simple command. When in
posix mode, name may not be the name of one of the POSIX special builtins. Any
redirections (see REDIRECTION below) specified when a function is defined are
performed when the function is executed. The exit status of a function
definition is zero unless a syntax error occurs or a readonly function with the
same name already exists. When executed, the exit status of a function is the
exit status of the last command executed in the body. (See FUNCTIONS below.)
The following definition should therefore be valid:
$ function bar (echo x)
...but it's not:
bash: syntax error near unexpected token `echo'
However, an identical function can be defined with the following definition:
$ function bar () (echo x)
I suspect this is an upstream bug.
--- System information. ---
Architecture: i386
Kernel: Linux 3.12-1-amd64
Debian Release: jessie/sid
990 testing debian.mirror.iweb.ca
500 unstable debian.mirror.iweb.ca
1 experimental ftp3.nrc.ca
--- Package information. ---
Depends (Version) | Installed
===========================-+-============
base-files (>= 2.1.12) | 7.2
debianutils (>= 2.15) | 4.4
Recommends (Version) | Installed
===================================-+-================
bash-completion (>= 20060301-0) | 1:2.1-2
Suggests (Version) | Installed
=======================-+-===========
bash-doc | 4.3-2
--
Filipus Klutiero
http://www.philippecloutier.com
