${(Z:opts)…}: Splitting with shell parsing and opts

(Z:opts:) is like (z) but takes additional settings to configure the parsing process. Without any options ((Z::)) works in exactly the same way as (z). It’s possible specify more than option, e.g. ${(Z:Cn:)name}.

It splits the expansion into words using shell parsing, i.e. as if the expansion was entered as a command.

The splitting is performed after other flags are applied. Use nesting to work with the resulting words of (Z:opts:).

Options

c

Causes comments to be parsed and retained

C

Causes comments to be parsed and removed

n

Causes unquoted newlines to be treated as ordinary whitespace and not as command separators

Links

• Zsh manual on parameter expansion flags

Examples

Split string using shell parsing and drop comments

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string="# simple embedded shell script echo -n hello echo world" # split using shell parsing and drop the comment line echo ${(Z:C:)string}

Output:

1	; echo -n hello ; echo world