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Problem Report 0710 Details

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Report 0710 Actions

    Problem Report Number 0710
    Submitter's Classification Specification problem
    State Resolved
    Resolution Permanent Interpretation (PIN)
    Problem Resolution ID PIN.X.0103
    Raised 1970-01-01 08:00
    Updated 2003-03-13 08:00
    Published 1995-12-11 08:00
    Product Standard Commands and Utilities V2 (UNIX 95)
    Certification Program The Open Brand certification program
    Test Suite VSC version 4.1.5
    Test Identification POSIX.cmd/mailx 189,190,191
    Specification Commands and Utilities Issue 4 Version 2
    Location in Spec See Problem Text
    Problem Summary PIN4C.00011 This test may fail on implementations because it is ambigious whether or not word expansion is done.
    Problem Text
    This test may fail on implementations because it is ambigious
    whether or not word expansion is done.

    These tests are resolved by the following IEEE POSIX interpretation,
    which permits the behaviour exhibited by our system. The resolution
    below shows that this part of the standard is ambiguous.

    _____________________________________________________________________________
    (c) 1995 The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Inc.
    Not to be published without prior written permission of the IEEE.

    _____________________________________________________________________________
    PASC Interpretation reference
    1003.2-92 #106

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    Interpretation Number: XXXX
    Topic: mailx and quoting ambiguity
    Relevant Sections: 4.40.7.2

    Interpretation Request:
    -----------------------

    Date: Tue, 4 Apr 1995 14:37:40
    From: Andrew Josey

    Dear Standards Board,
    I would like to request a formal interpretation on the following
    issue concerning the mailx utility in POSIX.2.

    POSIX.2 says in 4.40.7.2

    " - An argument can be enclosed between paired double-quotes (" ")
    or single-quotes (' '); any white space, shell word expansion or backslash
    characters within the quotes will be treated literally as part of the
    argument. A double- quote will be treated literally within single-
    quotes and vice versa. "

    It then says that

    File names, where expected, shall be subjected to the process of shell word
    expansions ....

    My reading of this (and confirmed by historical implementations) is that the
    arguments are parsed, and mailx does not interpret the contents of an
    argument quoted by "" or ''.

    Then, iff the argument to the command specifies a filename; the argument is
    subjected to the process of shell word expansion.

    This allows the use of commands such as

    ? write "$((1 + 3))" # uses filename "4"
    ? save "$(date +%A)" # used filename e.g. "Tuesday"

    Is this interpretation correct?



    Interpretation response
    ------------------------

    The standard is unclear on this issue, and no conformance
    distinction can be made between alternative implementations
    based on this. This is being referred to the sponsor.



    Rationale:
    None


    Forwarded to Interpretations group: Apr 5 1995
    Proposed resolution circulated: May 16th
    Comments due: June 15th
    Date Finalised: June 16th

    Test Output

    ***********************************************************************
    /tset/POSIX.cmd/mailx/mailx_03.ex 1 Failed


    Test Information:
    Assertion #189 (C): In quoted arguments, white space and met
    <LC> acharacters represent themselves
    Standard error isn't empty
    Contents of out.stderr:
    UX:mailx: ERROR: "xx189\ *": Ambiguous
    UX:mailx: ERROR: "yy189\ *": Ambiguous
    Command failed: '[ -s 'xx189\ *' ] && [ -s 'yy189\ *' ]'

    ***********************************************************************

    ***********************************************************************
    /tset/POSIX.cmd/mailx/mailx_03.ex 1 Failed


    Test Information:
    Assertion #190 (C): Double quotes within single quotes are t
    <LC> reated literally
    NOTE: The meaning of this assertion and the correctness
    of this test are the subject of a currently active request
    for an interpretation from the IEEE.
    Command failed: 'test -f 'a"a''

    ***********************************************************************


    ***********************************************************************
    /tset/POSIX.cmd/mailx/mailx_03.ex 1 Failed

    Test Information:
    Assertion #191 (C): Single quotes within double quotes are t
    <LC> reated literally
    NOTE: The meaning of this assertion and the correctness
    of this test are the subject of a currently active request
    for an interpretation from the IEEE.
    Command failed: 'test -f "a'a"'

    ***********************************************************************


    Review Information

    Review Type TSMA Review
    Start Date null
    Completed null
    Status Complete
    Review Recommendation No Resolution Given
    Review Response
    Since POSIX.2 interpretation 1003.2 #106 ruled this issue to be
    ambiguous, a permanent interpretation is recommended.

    Review Type SA Review
    Start Date null
    Completed null
    Status Complete
    Review Resolution Permanent Interpretation (PIN)
    Review Conclusion
    A Permanent Interpretation is granted.

    Problem Reporting System Options:

     

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