More parser woes

[vefatica]

This works.

v:\> echo %@len[A[]
2

Why doesn't this work? I've only replaced A with %@char[65].

v:\> echo %@len[%@char[65][]
TCC: Syntax error "@char[65"

 

[Alpengreis]

Here because a 2nd "%" (too)?

 

[Alpengreis]

Maybe it's really after multiple "%" ... regardless what follows then?

 

[Alpengreis]

Nope, that seems not the reason with the 2nd "%", it's not so easy.

 

[Alpengreis]

But could be always be after a 2nd function "%@functionname[]" ... where "%@" within "len" seems enough to produce a syntax error.

 

[rconn]

This works.

v:\> echo %@len[A[]
2

Why doesn't this work? I've only replaced A with %@char[65].

v:\> echo %@len[%@char[65][]
TCC: Syntax error "@char[65"

WAD. The '[' character here is considered a quoting character (and is looking for a matching endquote character). This is necessary to support nested variable expansion.

Your first example works because there isn't nested expansion.

This is 30+ year old behavior, and is not going to change without a really good reason and several months of beta testing, as it could have calamitous side-effects.