I found this Bash script from OpenWrt and while I grasp the overall functionality, I'd really appreciate a detailed explanation for each line. Here's the script:
```bash
case $PATH in
(*[!:]:) PATH="$PATH:" ;;
esac
for ELEMENT in $(echo $PATH | tr ":" "n"); do
PATH=$ELEMENT command -v "$@"
done
```
4 Answers
Actually, that `case` pattern could get tricky if someone uses paths with unusual characters, so your caution is valid. Also, the original design might be looking to account for some system-specific behavior, but using `command -v` is definitely a reliable approach to check for command existence across all directories in `PATH`. I'd also suggest checking the script's revision history for insights!
Interesting snippet! Just to clarify, the way it splits `$PATH` using `tr` isn’t the best practice since it doesn’t handle whitespace as expected. An alternative would be to use `IFS` to read into an array. It would make the code cleaner and avoid potential issues with spacing. But overall, it does achieve its purpose, which is finding commands in the specified directories.
The point about potentially unnecessary complexity is valid. Simpler alternatives often yield better performance and readability, especially in environments like OpenWrt! Love seeing this level of discourse on code practices.
I see this code is from OpenWrt. It seems like it tries to enforce a colon at the end of `$PATH`, but honestly, it may just be unnecessary and could lead to confusion. Also, iterating with a `while` loop could be a cleaner way here! Just my two cents—keep it simple!
Yeah, using `IFS` for such cases is definitely a better route. It also prevents issues that might arise from unexpected whitespace in directory names.