Re: Austin Interps 211

[Roger Marquis <marquis@xxxxxxxxx>]

> (2) adding a sh(1) feature, already implemented in { bash ksh zsh },
>    that does not introduce the printf(3) incompatibility, and solved
>    the problem for all utilities
Would that not introduce an incompatibility between older and newer
versions of /bin/sh?  Would scripts using the new feature break on older
OSs?   That, in a nutshell and IMO, is what a /bin/sh standard should most
avoid.  Whether { bash ksh zsh dash tcsh csh } implement the feature is
relatively tangental.  Consistent printf behavior is certainly important,
but as printf usage is not that common in /bin/sh scripts, relative to echo
at least, it wouldn't seem to be a sufficient rational for changing shell
behavior.

Roger Marquis