gistfile1.sh

jenders@jenders-mba tmp :) $ cat ./foo.sh
#!/bin/bash

echo "\$@: $@"

flags=()
for flag in "$@"; do
    if [[ "${flag}" =~ ^- ]]; then
        flags=("${flags[@]}" "${flag}")
    fi
done

echo "flags: ${flags[@]}"
echo "flag count: ${#flags[@]}"

operands=()
for operand in "$@"; do
    if [[ ! "${operand}" =~ ^- ]]; then
        operands=("${operands[@]}" "${operand}")
    fi
done

echo "operands: ${operands[@]}"
echo "operand count: ${#operands[@]}"

jenders@jenders-mba tmp :) $ ./foo.sh "barrack obama" george w bush --flag
$@: barrack obama george w bush --flag
flags: --flag
flag count: 1
operands: barrack obama george w bush
operand count: 4

jenders@jenders-mba tmp :) $ bash -x ./foo.sh "barrack obama" george w bush --flag
+ echo '$@: barrack obama' george w bush --flag
$@: barrack obama george w bush --flag
+ flags=()
+ for flag in '"$@"'
+ [[ barrack obama =~ ^- ]]
+ for flag in '"$@"'
+ [[ george =~ ^- ]]
+ for flag in '"$@"'
+ [[ w =~ ^- ]]
+ for flag in '"$@"'
+ [[ bush =~ ^- ]]
+ for flag in '"$@"'
+ [[ --flag =~ ^- ]]
+ flags=("${flags[@]}" "${flag}")
+ echo 'flags: --flag'
flags: --flag
+ echo 'flag count: 1'
flag count: 1
+ operands=()
+ for operand in '"$@"'
+ [[ ! barrack obama =~ ^- ]]
+ operands=("${operands[@]}" "${operand}")
+ for operand in '"$@"'
+ [[ ! george =~ ^- ]]
+ operands=("${operands[@]}" "${operand}")
+ for operand in '"$@"'
+ [[ ! w =~ ^- ]]
+ operands=("${operands[@]}" "${operand}")
+ for operand in '"$@"'
+ [[ ! bush =~ ^- ]]
+ operands=("${operands[@]}" "${operand}")
+ for operand in '"$@"'
+ [[ ! --flag =~ ^- ]]
+ echo 'operands: barrack obama' george w bush
operands: barrack obama george w bush
+ echo 'operand count: 4'
operand count: 4