local:tldr:41fc8

The command local -A ${variable}=(${[key_a]=item_a [key_b]=item_b [key_c]=item_c}) sets up an associative array in Bash.

Let's break down the command step by step:

1. local is a keyword used in Bash to declare a variable with local scope.
2. -A is an option used with the local command to declare an associative array.
3. ${variable} is the name of the associative array variable being declared. You can replace variable with the desired name for your array.
4. = is the assignment operator used to assign values to the associative array.
5. ( and ) brackets are used to enclose the values being assigned to the associative array. This is a way to define the array elements.
6. ${[key_a]=item_a [key_b]=item_b [key_c]=item_c} is an expression defining the elements of the associative array. Each element is defined using the syntax [key]=value, where key is the key or index of the element, and value is the value associated with that key. In this case, the associative array has three elements: key_a with item_a as its value, key_b with item_b as its value, and key_c with item_c as its value.

For example, if you run the command local -A my_array=(${[key_a]=item_a [key_b]=item_b [key_c]=item_c}), it will create an associative array named my_array with the following elements:

• my_array[key_a] will be item_a
• my_array[key_b] will be item_b
• my_array[key_c] will be item_c

You can access the elements of the associative array using the keys or indices. For example, echo ${my_array[key_a]} will output item_a.