If you are already familiar with arrays in other programming languages, you won't be surprised here.

An array in bash is a variable that allows you to refer to multiple values. In bash, arrays are also zero-based, that is, the first element in an array has an index of 0.

When dealing with arrays, we should be aware of the special environment variable `IFS`. **IFS** or **Input Field Separator** — is the character that separates elements in an array. The default value is an empty space `IFS=' '`.

### Array declaration

In bash you create an array by simply assigning a value to an index in the array variable:

```bash
fruits[0]=Apple
fruits[1]=Pear
fruits[2]=Plum
echo ${fruits[*]} # echo ${fruits[@]} may be used as well
```

Array variables can also be created using compound assignments such as:

```bash
fruits=(Apple Pear Plum)
```

### Array slice

Also, we can extract a slice of an array using the _slice_ operators:

```bash
echo ${fruits[*]:0:2} # Apple Pear
echo ${@:1:2} # slice of positional parameters
```

In the example above, `fruits[*]` returns the entire contents of the array, and `:0:2` extracts the slice of length 2, that starts at index 0.

### Adding elements into an array

Adding elements into an array is quite simple too. Compound assignments are specially useful in this case. We can use them like this:

```bash
fruits=(Orange ${fruits[*]} Banana Cherry)
echo ${fruits[*]} # Orange Apple Pear Plum Banana Cherry
```

In the example above, `fruits[*]` represents the entire contents of the array and substitutes it into the compound assignment, then assigns the new value into the `fruits` array, mutating its original value.

### Deleting elements from an array

To delete an element from an array, use the `unset` command:

```bash
unset fruits[0]
echo ${fruits[*]} # Apple Pear Plum Banana Cherry
```

## THE CHALLENGE

Create a file named `arrays.bash`.

A few values will be passed into your script through positional parameters. As you already know, all parameters which were passed into the script are stored in `$*` and `$@` variables. These variables are none other than arrays.

You should take slice of elements consisting of the second to third items (eventually two items). Save these elements into a new array. Add to the beginning of the array two new items, `I` and `am`. Add to the end of the array two items: `and` and the fourth positional argument.

Output all elements of the array.

For example, if you run your script with these arguments:

    ./arrays.bash awesome cool strong cute awesome

The script must output this:

    I am cool strong and cute

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