> ... but section 2.9.1 (Simple commands) explicitly says that
> normal words are expanded first, then redirections and finally variable
> assignments.  I think 2.9.1, being more explicit, is correct.
> 
> Hmm.  That leads to another interesting test:
> 
> x=$(echo var >&2) : >/dev/null$(echo redir >&2) $(echo arg >&2)
> 
> I believe the correct output from this is:
> 
> arg
> redir
> var

Section 2.9.1 does seem to imply that.
The last paragraph of it:
    "If there is a command name, execution shall continue as described
    in Command Search and Execution . If there is no command name, but
    the command contained a command substitution, the command shall
    complete with the exit status of the last command substitution
    performed. Otherwise, the command shall complete with a zero exit
    status."
also indicates that the exit status of the last substitution is
picked up only if there wasn't a command.
So:
	a=`command`
	echo $?
outputs the status of command, but that the status of command3
in:
	command1
	command2 `command3` $?
is discarded - so cannot be substituted in for the $?, which
must therefore still be the result of command1.

Now to fix sh.

	David

-- 
David Laight: david@l8s.co.uk