Script to Serialize / Deserialize a Bash Array to/from a String - Requires knowing one character NOT present in the array, to be used as the separator.

serialize_array.bash

# shellcheck shell=bash

##
# serialize_array
# Serializes a bash array to a string, with a configurable seperator.
#
# $1 = source varname ( contains array to be serialized )
# $2 = target varname ( will contian the serialized string )
# $3 = seperator ( optional, defaults to $'\x01' )
#
# example:
#
#    my_arry=( one "two three" four )
#    serialize_array my_array my_string '|'
#    declare -p my_string
#
# result:
#
#    declare -- my_string="one|two three|four"
#
function serialize_array() {
	declare -n _array="${1}" _str="${2}" # _array, _str => local reference vars
	local IFS="${3:-$'\x01'}"
	# shellcheck disable=SC2034 # Reference vars assumed used by caller
	_str="${_array[*]}" # * => join on IFS
}

##
# deserialize_array
# Deserializes a string into a bash array, with a configurable seperator.
#
# $1 = source varname ( contains string to be deserialized )
# $2 = target varname ( will contain the deserialized array )
# $3 = seperator ( optional, defaults to $'\x01' )
#
# example:
#
#    my_string="one|two three|four"
#    deserialize_array my_string my_array '|'
#    declare -p my_array
#
# result:
#
#    declare -a my_array=([0]="one" [1]="two three" [2]="four")
#
function deserialize_array() {
	IFS="${3:-$'\x01'}" read -r -a "${2}" <<<"${!1}" # -a => split on IFS
}