[ksh93-integration-discuss] printf syntax and /sbin/sh compatibility

[David Korn]

cc: swalker at opensolaris.org
Subject: Re: [ksh93-integration-discuss] printf syntax and /sbin/sh compatibility
--------

> I just ran into an odd behaviour tonight (see bug
> http://defect.opensolaris.org/bz/show_bug.cgi?id=502).
> 
> The following script:
> 
> printf "\n----------------------\n"
> printf "   IP configuration   \n"
> printf "----------------------\n\n"
> 
> ...works under ye olde /sbin/sh (bourne shell), but fails with
> "unknown option" under ksh93.
> 
> Since I'm rather daft about some nuances of shell syntax, can someone
> explain this to me?
> 
> Cheers,
> -- 
> Shawn Walker, Software and Systems Analyst
> http://binarycrusader.blogspot.com/
> 
> "To err is human -- and to blame it on a computer is even more so." -
> Robert Orben

This is not a defect.  If the first argument a command begins with a -
it is treated as an option, not an  argument.  The operand -- indicates
end of options.

Change
	printf "----------------------\n\n"
to
	printf -- "----------------------\n\n"

David Korn
dgk at research.att.com