Illegal syntax != a bug.
The parser cannot blindly assume that all spaces in variables are meaningless. Is there an external overriding reason you can't use the correct syntax?
Where is the illegality of this syntax documented? Unless this restriction in indexing array elements is documented, it is a valid assumption that one can set (or reference the value of) an array element using leading space.
I now noticed another restriction - unlike almost anywhere else, one cannot use a hexadecimal value for the array index, the
x of the
0x prefix is considered a field separator, hence the index is considered zero
0 regardless of the actual value.
The main reason (and only one in the test case) to use leading space in the array index of
SET commands is vertical alignment of code listing for readability.
IMHO both of these restrictions are bugs unless documented. Once documented we just have to grin and bear it...