From e440cccc0a685d7e7879108b3abcdb3ed0c85b5d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: qodelicious <162776175+qodelicious@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2026 05:23:52 +1100
Subject: [PATCH] docs: fix arithmetic update-assignment equivalence (#3682)

The manual said `a op= b` is equivalent to `a |= . op b`. It is actually
equivalent to `(b as $b | a |= . op $b)`: the right-hand side gets `.`
as input, not the value being updated, and each value it outputs gives a
separate result.

This updates the description and adds two examples, `.a += .b` and `.a
+= (1,2)`. `tests/man.test` and `jq.1.prebuilt` are regenerated.

Fixes #2119, fixes #2407
---
 docs/content/manual/dev/manual.yml | 25 +++++++++++++++++++++++--
 jq.1.prebuilt                      | 17 ++++++++++++++++-
 tests/man.test                     |  9 +++++++++
 3 files changed, 48 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/docs/content/manual/dev/manual.yml b/docs/content/manual/dev/manual.yml
index 966f7138..e7150c41 100644
--- a/docs/content/manual/dev/manual.yml
+++ b/docs/content/manual/dev/manual.yml
@@ -3561,6 +3561,13 @@ sections:
 
           The left-hand side can be any general path expression; see `path()`.
 
+          The right-hand side of `|=` is run with the value at the path
+          as its input, not with `.`. This is what sets it apart from
+          plain assignment (`=`) and the arithmetic update-assignment
+          operators such as `+=`, whose right-hand side is run with `.`.
+          For example, `.a |= .b` sets `.a` to the `b` field of `.a`,
+          while `.a = .b` and `.a += .b` use the `b` field of `.`.
+
           Note that the left-hand side of `|=` refers to a value in `.`.
           Thus `$var.foo |= . + 1` won't work as expected (`$var.foo` is
           not a valid or useful path expression in `.`); use `$var |
@@ -3588,13 +3595,27 @@ sections:
         body: |
 
           jq has a few operators of the form `a op= b`, which are all
-          equivalent to `a |= . op b`. So, `+= 1` can be used to
-          increment values, being the same as `|= . + 1`.
+          equivalent to `(b as $b | a |= . op $b)`. So, `+= 1` can be
+          used to increment values, being the same as `|= . + 1`.
+
+          Note that the right-hand side `b` is evaluated with the same
+          input as the left-hand side, not with the value at the path
+          being updated. So `.a += .b` adds the value of `.b` to `.a`,
+          whereas `.a |= . + .b` would look up `.b` inside the value of
+          `.a`.
+          If `b` outputs multiple values, then `a op= b` outputs one
+          result for each of them.
 
         examples:
           - program: .foo += 1
             input: '{"foo": 42}'
             output: ['{"foo": 43}']
+          - program: '.a += .b'
+            input: '{"a": 1, "b": 2}'
+            output: ['{"a": 3, "b": 2}']
+          - program: '.a += (1,2)'
+            input: '{"a": 0}'
+            output: ['{"a": 1}', '{"a": 2}']
 
       - title: "Plain assignment: `=`"
         body: |
diff --git a/jq.1.prebuilt b/jq.1.prebuilt
index 45056308..be0b8fab 100644
--- a/jq.1.prebuilt
+++ b/jq.1.prebuilt
@@ -4015,6 +4015,9 @@ This is the "update" operator \fB|=\fR\. It takes a filter on the right\-hand si
 The left\-hand side can be any general path expression; see \fBpath()\fR\.
 .
 .P
+The right\-hand side of \fB|=\fR is run with the value at the path as its input, not with \fB\.\fR\. This is what sets it apart from plain assignment (\fB=\fR) and the arithmetic update\-assignment operators such as \fB+=\fR, whose right\-hand side is run with \fB\.\fR\. For example, \fB\.a |= \.b\fR sets \fB\.a\fR to the \fBb\fR field of \fB\.a\fR, while \fB\.a = \.b\fR and \fB\.a += \.b\fR use the \fBb\fR field of \fB\.\fR\.
+.
+.P
 Note that the left\-hand side of \fB|=\fR refers to a value in \fB\.\fR\. Thus \fB$var\.foo |= \. + 1\fR won\'t work as expected (\fB$var\.foo\fR is not a valid or useful path expression in \fB\.\fR); use \fB$var | \.foo |= \. + 1\fR instead\.
 .
 .P
@@ -4044,7 +4047,10 @@ jq \'(\.\.|select(type=="boolean")) |= if \. then 1 else 0 end\'
 .IP "" 0
 .
 .SS "Arithmetic update\-assignment: +=, \-=, *=, /=, %=, //="
-jq has a few operators of the form \fBa op= b\fR, which are all equivalent to \fBa |= \. op b\fR\. So, \fB+= 1\fR can be used to increment values, being the same as \fB|= \. + 1\fR\.
+jq has a few operators of the form \fBa op= b\fR, which are all equivalent to \fB(b as $b | a |= \. op $b)\fR\. So, \fB+= 1\fR can be used to increment values, being the same as \fB|= \. + 1\fR\.
+.
+.P
+Note that the right\-hand side \fBb\fR is evaluated with the same input as the left\-hand side, not with the value at the path being updated\. So \fB\.a += \.b\fR adds the value of \fB\.b\fR to \fB\.a\fR, whereas \fB\.a |= \. + \.b\fR would look up \fB\.b\fR inside the value of \fB\.a\fR\. If \fBb\fR outputs multiple values, then \fBa op= b\fR outputs one result for each of them\.
 .
 .IP "" 4
 .
@@ -4053,6 +4059,15 @@ jq has a few operators of the form \fBa op= b\fR, which are all equivalent to \f
 jq \'\.foo += 1\'
    {"foo": 42}
 => {"foo": 43}
+
+jq \'\.a += \.b\'
+   {"a": 1, "b": 2}
+=> {"a": 3, "b": 2}
+
+jq \'\.a += (1,2)\'
+   {"a": 0}
+=> {"a": 1}
+   {"a": 2}
 .
 .fi
 .
diff --git a/tests/man.test b/tests/man.test
index 2818c822..86243105 100644
--- a/tests/man.test
+++ b/tests/man.test
@@ -994,6 +994,15 @@ true
 {"foo": 42}
 {"foo": 43}
 
+.a += .b
+{"a": 1, "b": 2}
+{"a": 3, "b": 2}
+
+.a += (1,2)
+{"a": 0}
+{"a": 1}
+{"a": 2}
+
 .a = .b
 {"a": {"b": 10}, "b": 20}
 {"a":20,"b":20}