Re: AIX sed oddity

[Paul Eggert]

Noah Misch <address@hidden> writes:

> I recommend against "former" and "latter" when indexing a list with more than
> two entries.

Thanks to both of you.  I installed this:

2007-06-26  Ralf Wildenhues  <address@hidden>
        and Paul Eggert  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Limitations of Usual Tools): sed -e ''
        fails on AIX 5.3.

--- doc/autoconf.texi   13 Jun 2007 16:52:24 -0000      1.1161
+++ doc/autoconf.texi   26 Jun 2007 17:42:23 -0000
@@ -13933,9 +13933,11 @@ $ @kbd{echo '1*23*4' | /usr/xpg4/bin/sed
 x
 @end example

-The @option{-e} option is portable, so long as its argument
-does not begin with @samp{a}, @samp{c}, or @samp{i}
-(as this runs afoul of a Tru64 5.1 bug).
+The @option{-e} option is mostly portable.
+However, its argument
+cannot start with @samp{a}, @samp{c}, or @samp{i},
+as this runs afoul of a Tru64 5.1 bug.
+Also, its argument cannot be empty, as this fails on @acronym{AIX} 5.3.
 Some people prefer to use @samp{-e}:

 @example