#!/bin/bash _DT=$(date +%Y:%m:%d:%H:%M:%S) echo "// __ \$_DT: $_DT" SavedIFS="$IFS" IFS=":" _dpvals_arr=( $_DT ) # date place values echo "// __ total numbers: ${#_dpvals_arr[@]}" for _dp in "${_dpvals_arr[@]}" do echo "$_dp" done IFS="$SavedIFS" ~ lbrtchx