How to avoid string value returned as part of sql query output being split into different fields in-CodePudding

The output of my sql query has multiple columns and contains string values which contains space. I need to write bash script where in i have to read values into variable and then use it further in the script also insert them into another database.

When i store output into an array the string value gets split based on space and stored into different indexes in array. How can i handle this situation in bash script.

CMD="SELECT * FROM upload where upload_time>='2020-11-18 00:19:48' LIMIT 1;"
output=($(mysql $DBCONNECT --database=uploads -N --execute="$CMD"))
echo ${output[9]}

Output:
version test_id upload_time parser_result 25 567 2020-11-18 00:19:48 <p1>box crashed with exit status 0</p1>

The upload time "2020-11-18 00:19:48" gets stored in two indexes. The more problematic is 'parser_result' value which is string. '<p1>box crashed with exit status 0</p1>' gets stored in different indexes splitting based on space.

${output[8]} contains '<p1>box'
${output[9]} contains 'crashed'

Database is very huge and i need to parse every row in it. Since string value can be anything i am unable come up with generic code. What is the best way to handle this scenario. Am using bash scripting for the first time!! I have to use bash script since this script will run as a cron job inside docker container.

CodePudding user response：

The fields are separated by TAB. Use that as your $IFS to parse the result.

IFS=$'\t' output=($(mysql $DBCONNECT --database=uploads -N --execute="$CMD"))
echo "${output[9]}"

If $DBCONNECT contains options separated with spaces, you need to do this in two steps, since it's using $IFS to split that as well.

result=$(mysql $DBCONNECT --database=uploads -N --execute="$CMD")
IFS=$'\t' output=($result)
echo "${ouptut[9]}"