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test -v with array elements

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  test -v with array elements Luiz Angelo Daros de Luca <luizluca@gmail.com> - 2020-05-29 17:00 -0300

#16319 — test -v with array elements

Hello,

While using test -v, I noticed that it returns false when I use it
with a sparse or empty array. I need to add [@] or [index] to have it
return true.

Is this expected? If so, it is not documented. It only has:

"True if the shell variable varname is set (has been assigned a value)."

I'm using GNU bash, version 5.0.16(1)-release (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu)

$ A=()
$ test -v A || echo not defined
not defined

Should it?

$ A=(x)
$ test -v A || echo not defined

OK

$ A=()
$ A[1]=1
$ test -v A || echo not defined
not defined

Should it? 'test -v A' is equivalent to 'test -v A[0]'

$ test -v A[1] || echo not defined
$ test -v A[2] || echo not defined
not defined

if index is specified, it would be ok to have it return false. It
would be a better way to test if an array contains a value (other than
variable expansion).

$ test -v A[@] || echo not defined

This only fails when A is an empty array, which might be correct.

Regards,
---
     Luiz Angelo Daros de Luca
            luizluca@gmail.com

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