docs(tasks): add bash array pattern for variadic args

[jdx]

Summary

Documents how to properly convert variadic args (var=#true) to bash arrays using the pattern:

eval "files=($usage_files)"

This handles arguments with spaces correctly.

Changes

• Added tip box in the Variadic Arguments section explaining the pattern
• Added tip box after Example 4 in the migration guide showing the complete pattern

Example

# Convert to bash array:
eval "files=($usage_files)"

# Use as array:
for f in "${files[@]}"; do
  echo "Processing: $f"
done

This addresses the common issue discussed in #6766 where users struggle to handle variadic args with spaces in bash scripts.

Related:

• Deprecation Announcement: Tera Template Functions for Task Arguments #6766
• alternative var=true joining usage#189
• docs: add bash array pattern for variadic args usage#480

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

---

Note

Low Risk
Low risk documentation-only change that adds usage guidance and examples; no runtime or behavior changes.

Overview
Documents a recommended Bash pattern for variadic task args (var=#true) that may include spaces, showing how to eval "files=($usage_files)" and then consume the resulting array safely.

Adds two new tip callouts: one in the Variadic Arguments section and another in the migration guide’s variadic example, both providing the same array-conversion snippet and usage examples.

^{Written by Cursor Bugbot for commit 905ebdf. This will update automatically on new commits. Configure here.}

[gemini-code-assist]

Summary of Changes

Hello @jdx, I'm Gemini Code Assist¹! I'm currently reviewing this pull request and will post my feedback shortly. In the meantime, here's a summary to help you and other reviewers quickly get up to speed!

This pull request enhances the documentation for mise's task system by providing crucial guidance on handling variadic arguments in bash scripts. It introduces a recommended pattern using eval "files=($usage_files)" to correctly parse arguments that may contain spaces into bash arrays, thereby preventing common scripting issues and improving the reliability of task execution.

Highlights

• Documentation Update: Added a new tip box in the "Variadic Arguments" section of the task-arguments.md documentation to explain how to properly convert variadic arguments into bash arrays, specifically addressing arguments that contain spaces.
• Example Enhancement: Included a second tip box after "Example 4" in the migration guide within task-arguments.md, providing a complete example of the pattern for handling variadic arguments with spaces by converting them to bash arrays.

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[Copilot]

Pull request overview

This PR documents a recommended pattern for handling variadic task arguments that contain spaces in bash scripts, addressing a common user pain point discussed in issue #6766.

Changes:

• Added documentation for the eval "files=($usage_files)" pattern to convert variadic args to bash arrays
• Included examples showing proper array usage with "${files[@]}"

---

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[Copilot]

Using eval with user-provided input is a security risk. If $usage_files contains malicious code, it will be executed. Consider documenting safer alternatives like mapfile or readarray, or at minimum add a security warning about validating input before using eval.

Suggested change

	eval "files=($usage_files)"
	files=($usage_files)

[Copilot]

Using eval with user-provided input is a security risk. If $usage_files contains malicious code, it will be executed. Consider documenting safer alternatives like mapfile or readarray, or at minimum add a security warning about validating input before using eval.

Suggested change

	eval "files=($usage_files)"
	# Safely read the usage_files into a Bash array without using eval
	mapfile -t files <<< "$usage_files"

[gemini-code-assist]

Code Review

This pull request significantly enhances the documentation for handling variadic arguments in mise tasks, particularly addressing the common challenge of arguments containing spaces in bash scripts. The added tip boxes provide clear and practical examples, which will be very helpful for users. The use of eval for parsing shell-escaped strings into bash arrays is an idiomatic solution for this problem, and the examples demonstrate its application effectively.

[gemini-code-assist]

The eval command is powerful and can be a security risk if the $usage_files variable were to contain untrusted or malicious input, as eval executes arbitrary shell commands. While this pattern is a common and often necessary way to parse shell-escaped strings into arrays in bash, it's generally good practice to include a small cautionary note about the potential risks of eval when dealing with potentially untrusted input, or to emphasize that usage_files should always be from a trusted source.

[gemini-code-assist]

Similar to the previous tip, the eval command used here carries potential security risks if $usage_files could be manipulated by untrusted input. It's crucial to ensure that the source of usage_files is always trusted when employing eval in scripts.

[github-actions]

Hyperfine Performance

mise x -- echo

Command	Mean [ms]	Min [ms]	Max [ms]	Relative
mise-2026.1.9 x -- echo	15.7 ± 0.3	15.0	17.1	1.00
mise x -- echo	15.9 ± 0.4	14.8	18.7	1.02 ± 0.04

mise env

Command	Mean [ms]	Min [ms]	Max [ms]	Relative
mise-2026.1.9 env	15.3 ± 0.4	14.5	19.6	1.00
mise env	15.7 ± 0.6	14.5	19.7	1.02 ± 0.05

mise hook-env

Command	Mean [ms]	Min [ms]	Max [ms]	Relative
mise-2026.1.9 hook-env	15.5 ± 0.4	14.4	17.0	1.00
mise hook-env	16.1 ± 0.4	15.1	17.6	1.04 ± 0.04

mise ls

Command	Mean [ms]	Min [ms]	Max [ms]	Relative
mise-2026.1.9 ls	13.9 ± 0.3	13.0	15.0	1.00
mise ls	15.0 ± 0.5	14.0	16.8	1.08 ± 0.04

xtasks/test/perf

Command	mise-2026.1.9	mise	Variance
install (cached)	81ms	84ms	-3%
ls (cached)	54ms	57ms	-5%
bin-paths (cached)	56ms	58ms	-3%
task-ls (cached)	232ms	⚠️ 461ms	-49%

⚠️ Warning: task-ls cached performance variance is -49%