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Groups > muc.lists.netbsd.tech.userlevel > #11712

Re: set -e again

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    Date:        Wed, 14 Jan 2026 10:28:37 +0000
    From:        Crystal Kolipe <kolipe.c@exoticsilicon.com>
    Message-ID:  <aWdv1ZpNO4v-29BG@exoticsilicon.com>

  | Does this achieve what you want?
  |
  | #!/bin/sh
  | set -e
  | f() {
  | 	echo foo
  | 	false
  | 	echo bar
  | }
  | f
  | [ $? ] || echo baz
  | echo buzz

I doubt it.

[ $? ] is always true.   $? is never '' which is the only way that
could be false.   If it were [ $? -ne 0 ] it would be closer.

But worse than that, the f call is now subject to the -e setting,
which it wasn't before - if the real f() (whatever caused the test
case to be created in the first place - no-one really wants a script
which just outputs foo bar baz buzz in this way - happened to end in
a "return 1" or similar (we must assume that is intended, or the
"|| echo ..." after its call wouldn't be there) is now going to make
the script exit, as f has failed.

Using -e is just not worth the bother, it is a nuisance, always has
been.   But it makes writing simple makefiles simple - it is what
causes the make script to stop as soon as one of the commands in it
fails.

kre



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Thread

set -e again David Holland <dholland-tech@netbsd.org> - 2026-01-14 01:18 +0000
  Re: set -e again "Greg A. Woods" <woods@planix.ca> - 2026-01-13 18:14 -0800
  Re: set -e again Mouse <mouse@Rodents-Montreal.ORG> - 2026-01-13 21:30 -0500
  Re: set -e again Crystal Kolipe <kolipe.c@exoticsilicon.com> - 2026-01-14 10:28 +0000
    Re: set -e again Mouse <mouse@Rodents-Montreal.ORG> - 2026-01-14 07:41 -0500
      Re: set -e again Crystal Kolipe <kolipe.c@exoticsilicon.com> - 2026-01-14 13:46 +0000
    Re: set -e again Robert Elz <kre@munnari.OZ.AU> - 2026-01-14 21:22 +0700
  Re: set -e again RVP <rvp@SDF.ORG> - 2026-01-14 13:39 +0000
  Re: set -e again Robert Elz <kre@munnari.OZ.AU> - 2026-01-14 21:09 +0700

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