WITNESS for yourselves as the quotes invade the parameters, absconding with the ones at the edges, when close enough.
$ cat 201012contract #!/bin/sh -eux set a b c d e f : ''$@'' : ' '$@' ' : ' '$*' ' : ' ' $* ' ' : " "$* " " $ ./201012contract + set a b c d e f + : a b c d e f + : ' a' b c d e 'f ' + : ' a' b c d e 'f ' + : ' ' a b c d e f ' ' + : ' a' b c d e f ' ' $ apt-show-versions bash bash/unstable uptodate 4.1-3 OK, the problem may only be -x deep, affecting the -x reporting output, but not the actual functionality, thank G.O.D.
