Processing output from an sqlite db into a ksh array with spaces

Question

I am querying an SQLite3 database like so:

input=$(-separator "," "SELECT field1,field2,field3 FROM table1") 

and get this result:

Red,Yellow is a color,Blue 

I need to insert this into an array, is there a way to set this result into an array in ksh without having the result return the field in quotation marks (which is not possible, as far as I know, from a query statement in sqlite)?

As in example:

#!/bin/ksh IFS=',' input=(Red,Yellow is a color,Blue) set -A array $input print ${array[@]} print ${array[0]} print ${array[1]} print ${array[2]} 

If I run the above code I get this: $ Red Yellow Red Yellow

If you encapsulate the second element with quotation marks, like this:

#!/bin/ksh IFS=',' input=(Red,"Yellow is a color",Blue) set -A array $input print ${array[@]} print ${array[0]} print ${array[1]} print ${array[2]} 

You get the proper result...

$ Red Yellow is a color Blue 

The solution I need to know is, is there is a way I can set this array without the quotation marks in the second element. Or would a pre-process need to be done on the db result return to encapsulate the elements with quotation marks before inserting into the the array. If so, what would be a good starting place? I'd like to stay within ksh if I could.

Answer 1

The following works for me in mksh:

$ echo $KSH_VERSION @(#)MIRBSD KSH R50 2014/10/07 $ x="Red,Yellow is a color,Blue" $ oIFS=$IFS $ IFS=, $ y=($x) $ IFS=$oIFS $ echo ${y[1]} Yellow is a color 

I believe it should work the same way in all versions of ksh.