On Mon, Feb 20, 2023 at 07:24:01PM +0000, Albretch Mueller wrote: > > https://mywiki.wooledge.org/BashPitfalls#pf47 > > > what I am trying to do is split a string using as delimiter a pipe
The web page you cited tells you how, doesn't it? Assuming your string is a line (e.g. something you pulled out of a *simplified* CSV file, where there are no delimiters inside fields), and that you want to store the fields in an array, you can simply do: IFS="|" read -ra myarray <<< "$mystring|" Demonstration: unicorn:~$ mystring='foo|bar|last|field|is|empty|' unicorn:~$ IFS="|" read -ra myarray <<< "$mystring|" unicorn:~$ declare -p myarray declare -a myarray=([0]="foo" [1]="bar" [2]="last" [3]="field" [4]="is" [5]="empty" [6]="") > I used to do that with awk, I don't understand how awk helps you populate the elements of a bash array. Awk can write a new string to stdout, but then you still have to parse that string in bash...? I don't see what benefit awk gives you here. > How do you split a string using as delimiter a pipe these days > without using a bloody hack? You cited a bash web page. So, everything you're doing is a hack. That's the nature of bash.
