populate about

concepts/more-arrays/.meta/config.json

@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
     "glennj"
   ],
   "contributors": [
-    "kotp",
     "IsaacG"
   ],
   "blurb": "More about Arrays in Bash programs."

concepts/more-arrays/about.md

@@ -1,3 +1,217 @@
-# About
+# More about Arrays
 
-TODO
+We introduced arrays in the [Arrays][arrays] chapter.
+This document will show more ways to use arrays.
+
+## Concatenating the Elements of an Array into a Single String
+
+In the previous Arrays chapter, you saw `"${myarray[@]}"`, with the `@` index, used to expand the array into the individual elements.
+But sometimes you want to join all the elements into a single string.
+For this, use the `*` index:
+
+```bash
+echo "${myarray[*]}"
+```
+
+You are required to enclose the expansion in double quotes.
+
+Bash uses the _first character_ of the `IFS` builtin variable as the separator character.
+By default, `$IFS` consists of space, tab and newline.
+
+```bash
+myarray=(one two three four)
+mystring="${myarray[*]}"
+declare -p mystring
+# => declare -- mystring="one two three four"
+```
+
+We can manipulate the `IFS` variable to use a different separator character:
+
+```bash
+myarray=(one two three four)
+IFS=","
+mystring="${myarray[*]}"
+declare -p mystring
+# => declare -- mystring="one,two,three,four"
+```
+
+~~~~exercism/advanced
+<details><summary>
+We can encapsulate this into a function.
+Click for details.
+</summary>
+
+```bash
+join() {
+    local IFS=$1
+    shift
+    local elements=("$@")
+    echo "${elements[*]}"
+}
+
+join ":" "${myarray[@]}"     # note, the "@" index
+# => "one:two:three:four"
+```
+
+Localizing `IFS` in the function means we don't have to save the old value and restore it back to it's previous value in the global scope.
+
+As a refinement, the special parameter `"$*"`, when quoted, has the same functionality so we don't need to save a copy of the function's arguments:
+
+```bash
+join() {
+    local IFS=$1
+    shift
+    echo "$*"
+}
+```
+
+</details>
+
+<details><summary>
+Without using a function, modifying IFS in a subshell is a good way to avoid modifying it in the current shell.
+Click for details.
+</summary>
+
+```bash
+(IFS=","; echo "${myarray[*]}")
+```
+
+The parentheses create a subshell (a copy of the current shell). When the commands inside the parentheses complete, the subshell exits, and the changed IFS variable disappears.
+
+Note that this will not work: `IFS="," echo "${myarray[*]}"` -- the parameter expansion is performed first, _before_ the shell applies the modified IFS variable to the `echo` command.
+
+</details>
+~~~~
+
+## Array Slices
+
+You may have seen the `"${variable:offset:length}"` [parameter expansion][parameter-expansion] that expands into a _substring_ of the variable's value.
+We can do the same thing with arrays to expand a slice of the array.
+
+```bash
+myarray=(one two three four)
+
+subarray=("${myarray[@]:0:2}")
+declare -p subarray         # => subarray=([0]="one" [1]="two")
+
+subarray=("${myarray[@]:1:3}")
+declare -p subarray         # => subarray=([0]="two" [1]="three" [2]="four")
+```
+
+Omitting the length part means "from the offset to the end of the array":
+
+```bash
+subarray=("${myarray[@]:2}")
+declare -p subarray         # => subarray=([0]="three" [1]="four")
+```
+
+## Passing an Array to a Function
+
+This is not as straightforward as other languages you might be know.
+There are two main techniques to pass an array to a function.
+
+### Pass the Elements
+
+In the first technique, you pass all of the array's values and collect them into a local array in the function.
+
+```bash
+myfunc() {
+    local array_copy=("$@")
+    # do stuff with array_copy
+    declare -p array_copy
+}
+
+array_original=(11 22 33 44)
+myfunc "${array_original[@]}"
+```
+
+The function's array holds a _copy_ of the values.
+Any changes made to the array in the function are not reflected in the outer scope.
+
+### Pass the Array Name
+
+This technique is more like the "pass by reference" capability you might know from other languages.
+You pass the array _name_ as a string.
+The function will create a local variable with the "nameref" attribute.
+This local array and the global array (whose name we passed in) are _the same array_.
+
+```bash
+myfunc() {
+    # note the `-n` option
+    local -n local_array=$1
+
+    # do stuff with local_array
+    for i in "${!local_array[@]}"; do
+        printf '%d => %s\n' "$i" "${local_array[i]}"
+    end
+
+    # we can mutate it
+    local_array+=(55 66 77)
+}
+
+array_original=(11 22 33 44)
+myfunc "array_original"
+
+# show the mutated array
+declare -p array_original
+# => declare -a array_original=([0]="11" [1]="22" [2]="33" [3]="44" [4]="55" [5]="66" [6]="77")
+```
+
+Namerefs also work with associative arrays, and "scalar" variables (that contain a string value).
+
+~~~~exercism/note
+Inside the function, `declare -p local_array` is not extremely helpful.
+It will just emit `declare -n local_array="array_original"`.
+You can get the detailed information about the array by inspecting the passed-in array name: `declare -p "$1"`
+~~~~
+
+~~~~exercism/caution
+Take care that the local array has a different name than the passed-in array.
+The code will still work, but it will emit "circular name reference" warnings like this:
+
+```bash
+myfunc() {
+    local -n a=$1
+    local IFS=,
+    echo "${a[*]}"
+}
+
+# same name as the function's local variable
+a=(one two three)
+myfunc a
+```
+
+```none
+bash: local: warning: a: circular name reference
+bash: warning: a: circular name reference
+bash: warning: a: circular name reference
+bash: warning: a: circular name reference
+one,two,three
+```
+~~~~
+
+## The Positional Parameters are "Array-like"
+
+In shells that aim to conform to the POSIX standard only (such as `ash` and `dash`), there are no arrays.
+The closest you can get is to use the positional parameters.
+
+* The positional parameters are accessed by index: `$1`, `$2`, etc.
+* They are expanded into individual elements with `"$@"`
+* They are concatenated into a single string with `"$*"`
+* The number of parameters is `$#`
+
+Use the `set` command to assign values to them:
+
+```sh
+set -- one two three
+set -- "$@" four
+
+for item in "$@"; do
+    echo "do something with $item"
+done
+```
+
+If your goal is to write "portable" shell scripts, you'll use the positional parameters to store a "list" of values.
+
+[arrays]: https://exercism.org/tracks/bash/concepts/arrays
+[parameter-expansion]: https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/bash.html#Shell-Parameter-Expansion