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From: kai@uicsrd.csrd.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: redirection before wildcards
Message-ID: <43200019@uicsrd.csrd.uiuc.edu>
Date: 3 Jun 88 18:49:00 GMT
Article-I.D.: uicsrd.43200019
Lines: 18
Nf-ID: #N:uicsrd.csrd.uiuc.edu:43200019:000:693
Nf-From: uicsrd.csrd.uiuc.edu!kai    Jun  3 13:49:00 1988


It's pretty well known that commands like "grep whatever * > out" can
cause infinate loops, because C-shell will create the file "out"
before expanding the asterisk wildcard, and grep never reaches EOF
once it reaches the file "out".

Is there any reason for this behavior?  I don't understand why the
wildcard isn't expanded first.  Wouldn't this eliminate one of the
easier ways of filling up disk space?  Does anyone know if this could
cause compatibility problems?  It seems too often that people USE
bugs instead of FIXING them.

Do Bourne and Korn shells act this way as well?


Patrick Wolfe
Internet:  pwolfe@kailand.kai.com
UUCP:      ...!{uunet,ucbvax,ihnp4}!uiucuxc!kailand!pwolfe