[ILUG] Parameter expansion in the shell

[Nick Murtagh]

>  some people advocate always using ${foo}, claiming
>  it improves clarify --- Clearly Wrong since the OP
>  was(? is?) confused --- and/or prevents mistakes,
>  which whilst broadly true, also means the script's
>  author does not understand the shell or its syntax
>  (since, in practice, the problem rarely arises and
>  some(? many?) people find excessive un-necessary
>  use of the construct annoying).

Interesting, the Cheetah templating language uses the exact
same syntax ($foo and ${foo}) with the same issues.

Personally I would agree with "some people" because I think
having two ways to do the same thing - one of which breaks in
certain circumstances - sucks. Why not just have one which
works reliably?

The need for ${foo} is more common with Cheetah than with
shell I think...