reference bash array values, using a variable with a value of the array name
 

In my script I have several arrays and as part of the processing I figure out the names. Once
I have the name I assign it to a variable. Now the hard part. How do I process/reference the array based on the variable name. I have tried several things and best I can come up with is the first index only

ex.
array1=("hello gus" "goodbye world" "I need help")
refarray1=array1

How do I use refarray1 or manipulate refarray1 in order to get the values of the array.

thanks

Are you using a version of bash that supports associative arrays? They were introduced in version 4.0.

Probably need to explain some more gus as I am a bit lost?

thanks for the replies but I came up with a different solution.

And would you like to share with the class so everyone may benefit?

sorry I should have provided a bit more detail before marking solved.

Initially I didn't actually solve my original issue I just reworked the script to avoid the situation.

However, I didn't give up and did in fact find the solution. Now I'll rework the script again because its a better implementation.


array1=("hello gus" "goodbye world" "I need help")
refarray1=array1

I started with above and wanted to know how to use refarray1 to refer to the elements in the array1.
The solution was to correctly deference refarray1. I was not getting that part correct.

These 2 for loops produce same output

# using array1
for((x=0; x < ${#array1[@]}; x += 1))
do
echo ${array1[$x]}

done

#using refarray
eval no_elem=\${#${refarray1}[@]}
for((x=0; x < $no_elem; x += 1))
do
eval echo \${${refarray1}[$x]}

done

the 2 for loops are equivalent. the second version is where I was stuck