How to return an array in bash without using globals?

Question

I have a function that creates an array and I want to return the array to the caller:

create_array() {
  local my_list=(\"a\", \"b\", \"c\")
  echo \"${my_li         


        

Answer 1

You can also use the declare -p method more easily by taking advantage of declare -a's double-evaluation when the value is a string (no true parens outside the string):

# return_array_value returns the value of array whose name is passed in.
#   It turns the array into a declaration statement, then echos the value
#   part of that statement with parentheses intact.  You can use that
#   result in a "declare -a" statement to create your own array with the
#   same value.  Also works for associative arrays with "declare -A".
return_array_value () {
  declare Array_name=$1  # namespace locals with caps to prevent name collision
  declare Result

  Result=$(declare -p $Array_name)  # dehydrate the array into a declaration
  echo "${Result#*=}"               # trim "declare -a ...=" from the front
}

# now use it.  test for robustness by skipping an index and putting a
# space in an entry.
declare -a src=([0]=one [2]="two three")
declare -a dst="$(return_array_value src)"    # rehydrate with double-eval

declare -p dst
> declare -a dst=([0]="one" [2]="two three")  # result matches original

Verifying the result, declare -p dst yields declare -a dst=([0]="one" [2]="two three")", demonstrating that this method correctly deals with both sparse arrays as well as entries with an IFS character (space).

The first thing is to dehydrate the source array by using declare -p to generate a valid bash declaration of it. Because the declaration is a full statement, including "declare" and the variable name, we strip that part from the front with ${Result#*=}, leaving the parentheses with the indices and values inside: ([0]="one" [2]="two three").

It then rehydrates the array by feeding that value to your own declare statement, one where you choose the array name. It relies on the fact that the right side of the dst array declaration is a string with parentheses that are inside the string, rather than true parentheses in the declare itself, e.g. not declare -a dst=( "true parens outside string" ). This triggers declare to evaluate the string twice, once into a valid statement with parentheses (and quotes in the value preserved), and another for the actual assignment. I.e. it evaluates first to declare -a dst=([0]="one" [2]="two three"), then evaluates that as a statement.

Note that this double evaluation behavior is specific to the -a and -A options of declare.

Oh, and this method works with associative arrays as well, just change -a to -A.

Because this method relies on stdout, it works across subshell boundaries like pipelines, as others have noted.

I discuss this method in more detail in my blog post