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That is ugly and unncessary. If you want to pass the array by name, make array_internally an alias of it: declare -n array_internally=$1. And the rest of it about "becomes complicated" and "determine and then remove ..." applies to irrespective of how you pass the array, so I don't see what's the point of that. And evaling an array potentially containing special characters is just waiting for grief to happen at a later date.
– muru
Commented Jul 12, 2018 at 4:04
Just posted a proposition : pass one or multiple strings and make them an array inside the function.
– tisc0
Commented Feb 7, 2020 at 9:28
@muru, what do you make of the statement in man bash-builtins (for the declare -n option, which local incorporates): "The -n attribute cannot be applied to array variables." I don't know enough yet to understand how this fits, except to know that absent other input such as your suggestion, the statement would, in my ignorance, discourage me from using the -n option in this situation.
– ebsf
Commented Jun 3, 2022 at 18:13
@ebsf I believe what it means is that you can't have something like declare -an foo=(...) where a variable is both an array and a nameref. Having an array foo and then doing declare -n bar=foo has worked fine for years, e.g., another answer from 7 years ago on this post, or this answer from me on U&L from 5 years ago
– muru
Commented Jun 4, 2022 at 2:38

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