On 11/02/17 10:14 PM, Daniel Shahaf wrote:
printf is not a reserved word (it isn't part of the syntax), however,
it _is_ builtin to the shell:
% which printf
printf: shell built-in command
If printf weren't a builtin, it wouldn't have been able to grow the
«-v variablename» flag.
I have a sort of built-in thinking that 'direct syntax' (if that means anything) is always better. Dunno, maybe because I presume that commands are external, another hangover from DOS. I think that if I 'don't need' printf then I shouldn't use it. Scottish frugality? Probably I should try to avoid that thinking as baseless. As to the variable, I was sorta pondering that and of course the answer is just as you give it.