Configuration Information [Automatically generated, do not change]:
Machine: x86_64
OS: linux-gnu
Compiler: gcc
Compilation CFLAGS: -g -O2 -fstack-protector-strong -Wformat
-Werror=format-security -Wall
uname output: Linux h2 5.15.0-2-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 5.15.5-1 (2021-11-26)
x86_64 GNU/Linux
Machine Type: x86_64-pc-linux-gnu
Bash Version: 5.1
Patch Level: 12
Release Status: release
Description:
making left square bracket char ([) part of the key into a hash causes
unset to silently fail when trying to unset that specific hash item.
The position of left square bracket char in the string used as key
doesn't
matter. unset also fails when the key is a single [ character.
Please refer to the following script which attempts to demonstrate this
quirk.
Repeat-By:
# diagnostic shows remains of hash after attempts to unset single item.
show() { echo "$1, ${#a[@]} items in a: a['${!a[@]}']=${a['[foo]']}"; }
# prepare test scenario
declare -A a # make "a" a hash
a['[foo]']="bar" # assign "bar" to item keyed [foo]
show "good" # correctly output item, show correct
item count
# intention is to get rid of the item again, by unsetting the single item, not
the whole array.
# several ways of quoting are attempted here
unset "a['[foo]']" # try to remove item
show "wrong" # can still output item, item still
counts
unset 'a["[foo]"]' # try to remove item
show "wrong" # can still output item, item still
counts
unset 'a[[foo]]' # try to remove item
show "wrong" # can still output item, item still
counts
unset "a[[foo]]" # try to remove item
show "wrong" # can still output item, item still
counts
unset "a[\[foo]]" # try to remove item
show "wrong" # can still output item, item still
counts
unset "a["\[foo]"]" # try to remove item
show "wrong" # can still output item, item still
counts
unset "a['['foo]]" # try to remove item
show "wrong" # can still output item, item still
counts
a["[foo]"]="" # Best I can currently do
show "set empty, item still counted" # item still there though contents are
empty string.
