Repository navigation
First case pattern that starts with a hyphen is mis-tokenized as extglob_pattern #336
Description
In a case statement, the first case pattern is tokenized as extglob_pattern if it starts with a hyphen. All subsequent patterns are parsed correctly.
Reproduction code:
#!/bin/bash
case "$1" in
-first) echo 1;;
second) echo 2;;
third) echo 3;;
*) echo wildcard;;
esac
Parse tree:
(program (comment)
(case_statement case
value:
(string "
(simple_expansion $ (variable_name))
")
in
(case_item value: (extglob_pattern) )
(command
name: (command_name (word))
argument: (number))
termination: ;;)
(case_item value: (word) )
(command
name: (command_name (word))
argument: (number))
termination: ;;)
(case_item value: (word) )
(command
name: (command_name (word))
argument: (number))
termination: ;;)
(case_item value: (extglob_pattern) )
(command
name: (command_name (word))
argument: (word))
;;)
esac))
If i remove the hyphen:
#!/bin/bash
case "$1" in
first) echo 1;;
second) echo 2;;
third) echo 3;;
*) echo wildcard;;
esac
Then it becomes:
(program (comment)
(case_statement case
value:
(string "
(simple_expansion $ (variable_name))
")
in
(case_item value: (word) )
(command
name: (command_name (word))
argument: (number))
termination: ;;)
(case_item value: (word) )
(command
name: (command_name (word))
argument: (number))
termination: ;;)
(case_item value: (word) )
(command
name: (command_name (word))
argument: (number))
termination: ;;)
(case_item value: (extglob_pattern) )
(command
name: (command_name (word))
argument: (word))
;;)
esac))
Activity
Doodler8888 commentedon May 1, 2026
also adding underscore inside any case patterns changes it from
wordtoextglob_pattern