no need for associative array

test/associative.test.bash

@@ -12,62 +12,48 @@ function array_new {
 }
 
 function array_inspect {
-  local -n ref="$1"
+  local ref prefix i
+  declare -n ref="$1"
   prefix="${2:-}"
   echo "${prefix}array '$1' contains ${#ref[@]} elements"
-  local i
+  for i in "${ref[@]}"; do
-  for i in "${ref[@]}"; do echo "${prefix}-> $i"; done
+    if [[ -R $i ]]; then
+      array_inspect "$i" "${prefix} => "
+    else
+      echo "${prefix}-> $i"
+    fi
+  done
   echo "${prefix}----"
 }
 
-function nested_new {
-  local internal
-  ref_name="$1"
-  shift
-  [[ -v nested_count ]] && ((nested_count++)) || nested_count=1
-  nested_name="nested_$nested_count"
-  declare -gA "$nested_name"
-  declare -gn "$ref_name"="$nested_name"
-  declare -n internal="$nested_name"
-  internal['TYPE']='NESTED_ARRAY'
-  local i=0
-  local j=0
-  for j in "$@"; do
-    internal["$i"]="$j"
-    i=$((i + 1))
-  done
-}
-
-function nested_inspect {
-  local internal
-  declare -n internal=$1
-  [[ "${internal['TYPE']}" != 'NESTED_ARRAY' ]] && >&2 echo "expected nested array: $1" && return 1
-
-  count=${#internal[@]}
-  count=$((count - 1))
-  echo "nested '$1' contains $count arrays"
-  local i
-  for ((i = 0; i < count; i++)); do
-    array_inspect "${internal[$i]}" "  =>  "
-  done
-  echo ----
-}
-
 # initialization
 array_new mine1 'Albert' 20
 array_new mine2 'Bob' 24
 array_new mine3 'Conrad' 31 true
 
+array_new nested mine1 mine2 mine3
+array_inspect nested
+
 # change values
 mine1+=(false)
 : "$mine3" # pseudo use fix shellcheck issue
+mine3[1]=$((mine3[1] + 8))
 mine3[2]=false
+array_inspect nested
 
-nested_new nested1 mine1 mine2 mine3
+# nested twice
-nested_inspect nested1
+declare -n other="${nested[1]:?}" # ':?' fix shellcheck issue
+: "${other}"                      # pseudo use fix shellcheck issue
+array_inspect other
+array_new mine4 'Darryl' 30
+other+=(mine4)
+array_inspect nested
 
-# change nested values
+# nested_new nested1 mine1 mine2 mine3
-declare -n first="${nested1[0]:?}" # ':?' fix shellcheck issue
+# nested_inspect nested1
-first+=("nope")
+#
-first[1]=$((first[1] + 5))
+# # change nested values
-nested_inspect nested1
+# declare -n first="${nested1[0]:?}" # ':?' fix shellcheck issue
+# first+=("nope")
+# first[1]=$((first[1] + 5))
+# nested_inspect nested1