Another feature request: To parse out simple thing like IP components, you can do something like IFS=. read a b c d <<< "11.22.33.44"
But, if data are buried in a mess, then it's very labour-intensive to dig them out. It might be useful to have scanf()-like feature, where stdin or string are read and parsed according to the usual format string. I guess, it would actually be sscanf(), since 'read' builtin reads a line first. Since you're dealing with strings, only %s, %c, and %[] are sufficient. Where it would be used: - everywhere, really everywhere. Advantage: - You can concentrate on "business logic", and less time on bookkeeping. -- William Park <opengeome...@yahoo.ca>