Bash Array append

Array append

#! /bin/bash
# array-append.bash

# Copyright (c) Michael S. Zick, 2003, All rights reserved.
# License: Unrestricted reuse in any form, for any purpose.
# Version: $ID$
#
# Slightly modified in formatting by M.C.


# Array operations are Bash-specific.
# Legacy UNIX /bin/sh lacks equivalents.


#  Pipe the output of this script to 'more'
#+ so it doesn't scroll off the terminal.


# Subscript packed.
declare -a array1=( zero1 one1 two1 )
# Subscript sparse ([1] is not defined).
declare -a array2=( [0]=zero2 [2]=two2 [3]=three2 )

echo
echo '- Confirm that the array is really subscript sparse. -'
echo "Number of elements: 4"        # Hard-coded for illustration.
for (( i = 0 ; i < 4 ; i++ ))
do
    echo "Element [$i]: ${array2[$i]}"
done
# See also the more general code example in basics-reviewed.bash.


declare -a dest

# Combine (append) two arrays into a third array.
echo
echo 'Conditions: Unquoted, default IFS, All-Elements-Of operator'
echo '- Undefined elements not present, subscripts not maintained. -'
# # The undefined elements do not exist; they are not being dropped.

dest=( ${array1[@]} ${array2[@]} )
# dest=${array1[@]}${array2[@]}     # Strange results, possibly a bug.

# Now, list the result.
echo
echo '- - Testing Array Append - -'
cnt=${#dest[@]}

echo "Number of elements: $cnt"
for (( i = 0 ; i < cnt ; i++ ))
do
    echo "Element [$i]: ${dest[$i]}"
done

# Assign an array to a single array element (twice).
dest[0]=${array1[@]}
dest[1]=${array2[@]}

# List the result.
echo
echo '- - Testing modified array - -'
cnt=${#dest[@]}

echo "Number of elements: $cnt"
for (( i = 0 ; i < cnt ; i++ ))
do
    echo "Element [$i]: ${dest[$i]}"
done

# Examine the modified second element.
echo
echo '- - Reassign and list second element - -'

declare -a subArray=${dest[1]}
cnt=${#subArray[@]}

echo "Number of elements: $cnt"
for (( i = 0 ; i < cnt ; i++ ))
do
    echo "Element [$i]: ${subArray[$i]}"
done

#  The assignment of an entire array to a single element
#+ of another array using the '=${ ... }' array assignment
#+ has converted the array being assigned into a string,
#+ with the elements separated by a space (the first character of IFS).

# If the original elements didn't contain whitespace . . .
# If the original array isn't subscript sparse . . .
# Then we could get the original array structure back again.

# Restore from the modified second element.
echo
echo '- - Listing restored element - -'

declare -a subArray=( ${dest[1]} )
cnt=${#subArray[@]}

echo "Number of elements: $cnt"
for (( i = 0 ; i < cnt ; i++ ))
do
    echo "Element [$i]: ${subArray[$i]}"
done
echo '- - Do not depend on this behavior. - -'
echo '- - This behavior is subject to change - -'
echo '- - in versions of Bash newer than version 2.05b - -'

# MSZ: Sorry about any earlier confusion folks.

exit 0