Re: [bug-gawk] Bug: invalid evaluation of variable in for statement

[Aharon Robbins]

Hi.

Thank you for using gawk and for taking the time to send in a report.

> I'm saying awk has very loose (think no) typing. Every variable is either
> (both and, not either or) a string or a number, and the only way you can be
> certain the correct form of comparison is used is by turning the variable
> into an expression as part of the comparison:

That is generally correct. The manual (not the man page) documents things
pretty well.

I also think Andy's analysis is correct and that your program should
have the `+ 0' to force the numeric comparison.

Different awks do different things with your program. Mawk acts like
gawk 4, where as Brian Kernighan's awk acts like gawk 3.1 did.

I happen to think that gawk 4 and mawk are correct and that
you effectively found a bug in gawk 3.1. :-)

FWIW, the current version is 4.1.3; you should upgrade to that in
any case as there is more functionality and a number of bug fixes.

Thanks,

Arnold