UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

I just want to make sure I understand something. If I set the IFS to something other than ' ' from the shell, once that one command is complete the IFS returns to ' ' right?

But if I'm changing the IFS inside of a script, than for as long as that script is processing, the IFS stays what I change it to?

So for example if I was running the following from a shell prompt:

Code:

(20:56:35\[ddecosta@deco)
[~]$ cat test
$value1=A
$value2=B
$value3=
$value4=
$value5=C


(20:56:40\[ddecosta@deco)
[~]$ IFS="=";while read value result; do if [[ -n $result ]];then echo "$value=$result"; fi;done < test
$value1=A
$value2=B
$value5=C

As soon as I get back to a prompt, the IFS is a space again, but if this were a block inside a script, the IFS would stay '=' until the script exits or IFS is re-declared?

Only if it has global scope. As soon as you exit the block, IFS should revert to what it was prior to the block.