Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!sun-barr!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!edsews!bgalli!bga
From: bga@bgalli.eds.com (Billy G. Allie)
Newsgroups: comp.bugs.sys5
Subject: Re: bug in /bin/sh
Summary: It's not a bug ... it's a feature!
Keywords: functions, quotes
Message-ID: <349@bgalli.eds.com>
Date: 26 May 89 04:05:57 GMT
References: <883@cetia4.UUCP>
Organization: BGA's home system, Dearborn, MI.
Lines: 30

In article <883@cetia4.UUCP>, chris@cetia4.UUCP (Christian Bertin) writes:
> First, I apologized if this is an ancient bug. There is a problem in the
> argument passing when shell functions are used: The expansion of $* turns
> quoted strings into multiple arguments.
>
> But, if I type:
> 
> 			$ mail() /usr/bin/mailx $*
> 			$ mail -s "a b c d e f" chris
> 
> the quoted string has become multiple arguments to 'mailx'

The shell expand the parameters $* and $@ into a list of all positional 
parameters seperated by spaces so that the following command is executed:

	/usr/bin/mailx -s a b c d e f chris

To get the effect you desire, you must use the $@ parameter within quotes.
For example, your mail function should be written as follows:

	mail() /usr/bin/mailx "$@"

Note that both the $* and the $@ parameters receive special treatment by
the shell when they are quoted.  "$*" is equivalent to "$1 $2 $3 ..." and
"$@" is equivalent to "$1" "$2" "$3" ....
-- 
____	   | Billy G. Allie	| Internet..: bga@bgalli.eds.com
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