bin/169500: expr(1) improperly requires forward slash to be escaped

[Mark Linimon]

The following reply was made to PR bin/169500; it has been noted by GNATS.

From: Mark Linimon <linimon at lonesome.com>
To: bug-followup at FreeBSD.org
Cc:  
Subject: Re: bin/169500: expr(1) improperly requires forward slash to be
 escaped
Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2012 21:24:40 -0500

 ----- Forwarded message from Robert Bonomi <bonomi at mail.r-bonomi.com> -----
 
 Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2012 20:44:25 -0500 (CDT)
 From: Robert Bonomi <bonomi at mail.r-bonomi.com>
 To: linimon at freebsd.org
 Subject: Re: bin/169500: expr(1) improperly requires forward slash to be escaped
 
 FWIW, the putative 'bug' is documented on the manpage for expr.
 
 There is nothing wrong with the 1003 regex handling.
 
 It is operator/operaand recognition in expr.  Using something that
 is parsable as an operator _as_ an operand. is a syntax error for 
 the ':' operator -- EXPRESSLY so stated on the manpage. 
 Using _any_ token that is parsable as an 'operator' (arithmetic, or
 logical) as an operand for ':' will result in the  same non-bug error
 
 The 'Examples' section of the manpage documents a work-around --
 actually using '/' as the example.
 
 Shoulc be closable -- with the traditional IBMism -- "it's not a bug,
 it's a _feature_, and =documented= as such."    *BIG* grin.
 
 ----- End forwarded message -----