Bash variable expansion

args.py

#!/usr/bin/env python

import sys

print '%s: %s' % (len(sys.argv) - 1, sys.argv[1:])

args.sh

#!/bin/bash -eu

function go() {
   echo "argc: $#"
   ./args.py $@
   ./args.py "$@"
   ./args.py $*
   ./args.py "$*"
   echo
}

echo "direct:"
./args.py $@
./args.py "$@"
./args.py $*
./args.py "$*"
echo

shift
echo 'call $@'
go qqq $@
echo 'call "$@"'
go qqq "$@"
echo 'call $*'
go qqq $*
echo 'call "$*"'
go qqq "$*"

output.txt

$ ./test.sh 
direct:
4: ['abc', 'xyz', 'foo', 'bar']
3: ['abc', 'xyz', 'foo bar']
4: ['abc', 'xyz', 'foo', 'bar']
1: ['abc xyz foo bar']

call $@
argc: 4
4: ['qqq', 'xyz', 'foo', 'bar']
4: ['qqq', 'xyz', 'foo', 'bar']
4: ['qqq', 'xyz', 'foo', 'bar']
1: ['qqq xyz foo bar']

call "$@"
argc: 3
4: ['qqq', 'xyz', 'foo', 'bar']
3: ['qqq', 'xyz', 'foo bar']
4: ['qqq', 'xyz', 'foo', 'bar']
1: ['qqq xyz foo bar']

call $*
argc: 4
4: ['qqq', 'xyz', 'foo', 'bar']
4: ['qqq', 'xyz', 'foo', 'bar']
4: ['qqq', 'xyz', 'foo', 'bar']
1: ['qqq xyz foo bar']

call "$*"
argc: 2
4: ['qqq', 'xyz', 'foo', 'bar']
2: ['qqq', 'xyz foo bar']
4: ['qqq', 'xyz', 'foo', 'bar']
1: ['qqq xyz foo bar']

test.sh

#!/bin/sh -eu

./args.sh abc xyz 'foo bar'