# Date: Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:21:19 +0100

# From: Hermann Peifer <peifer@gmx.net>

# Subject: [Fwd: Gawk length(array) bug]

# To: bug-gawk@gnu.org

# Cc: Aharon Robbins <arnold@skeeve.com>

# Message-id: <47DBE96F.1060406@gmx.net>

# 

# See below. Regards, Hermann

# 

# -------- Original Message --------

# Subject: Re: Gawk length(array) question

# Date: Sat, 15 Mar 2008 08:02:03 -0500

# From: Ed Morton <morton@lsupcaemnt.com>

# Newsgroups: comp.lang.awk

# References: <47DBAE29.4050709@gmx.eu>

# 

# On 3/15/2008 6:08 AM, Hermann Peifer wrote:

# > Hi All,

# > 

# > The Gawk man page says:

# >  > Starting with version 3.1.5, as a non-standard extension,

# >  > with an array  argument, length() returns the number

# >  > of elements in the array.

# > 

# > It looks like Gawk's length(array) extension does not work inside 

# > functions. Is this a bug or feature or am I missing something? See the 

# > example below. I am using GNU Awk 3.1.6

# > 

# > $ cat testdata

# > CD NAME

# > AT Austria

# > BG Bulgaria

# > CH Switzerland

# > DE Germany

# > EE Estonia

# > FR France

# > GR Greece

# > 

# > $ cat test.awk

# > 

# Populate array

NR > 1 { array[$1] = $2 }

# Print array length and call function A

END { print "array:",length(array) ; A(array) }

function A(array_A) { print "array_A:", length(array_A) }

# > 

# > $ gawk -f test.awk testdata

# > array: 7

# > gawk: test.awk:8: (FILENAME=data FNR=8) fatal: attempt to use array 

# > `array_A (from array)' in a scalar context

# > 

# > BTW, there is no such error if I have asort(array_A) or asorti(array_A) 

# > inside the function.

# > 

# > Hermann

# 

# I get the same result with gawk 3.1.6 for cygwin. Obviously you can work

# around

# it since asort() returns the number of elements in an array just like

# length()

# is supposed to (or "for (i in array) lgth++" if you don't want to be

# gawk-specific) but it does seem like a bug. Anyone know if there's a list of

# known gawk bugs on-line somewhere?

# 

# 	Ed.

# 

#