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From: guy@auspex.auspex.com (Guy Harris)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.att,comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: Forcing /bin/sh in a script under V/386 3.2 Korn shell
Message-ID: <2264@auspex.auspex.com>
Date: 20 Jul 89 18:35:46 GMT
References: <14445@bfmny0.UUCP> <1989Jul12.191342.1048@cs.dal.ca> <1792@cadillac.CAD.MCC.COM> <1152@vsi.COM>
Reply-To: guy@auspex.auspex.com (Guy Harris)
Distribution: na
Organization: Auspex Systems, Santa Clara
Lines: 16


 >While this is true, it can be misleading.  In particular, the line
 >
 >	cat file file2 > file3
 >
 >isn't commented out by prefixing it with a colon.  Cat doesn't run,
 >but redirection *will* take place and file3 will be truncated.

Furthermore, it means that the arguments to the ":" command are parsed,
so the shell won't do what you want if you try something like

	:
	: This isn't a comment
	:

(unless you want something rather perverse).