Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!sdd.hp.com!caen!uwm.edu!spool.mu.edu!news.nd.edu!mentor.cc.purdue.edu!purdue!haven!umbc3.umbc.edu!math16.math.umbc.edu!rouben From: rouben@math16.math.umbc.edu (Rouben Rostamian) Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions Subject: Would somebody please explain? Message-ID: <1991Apr21.001702.5661@umbc3.umbc.edu> Date: 21 Apr 91 00:17:02 GMT Sender: newspost@umbc3.umbc.edu (News posting account) Reply-To: rouben@math16.math.umbc.edu (Rouben Rostamian) Organization: Mathematics Department University of Maryland, Baltimore County Lines: 16 The command: expr "Match" : "Ma" returns 2, as it should, since the first two characters of "Match" and "Ma" coincide. Now, would somebody please explain why the command: expr "match" : "ma" complains of a "syntax error"? This happens on DEC ultrix (both in sh and csh,) on SUNs, and on Stardent. I don't claim that this is a bug; I suspect that I am doing something stupid. Please enlighten. -- Rouben Rostamian Telephone: (301) 455-2458 Department of Mathematics and Statistics e-mail: University of Maryland Baltimore County bitnet: rostamian@umbc.bitnet Baltimore, MD 21228, U.S.A. internet: rouben@math9.math.umbc.edu