Bash bug?

Bill Shirley (webnut@conc.tds.net)
Mon, 22 Sep 1997 16:57:19 -0400

Forgive me it this is the wrong place to post this observation, but it's the only place I know of. I'm also new to writing scripts, so maybe this is correct. Doesn't look right to me. Please look at the following:

elmo:~# cat bash.bug
#!/bin/sh
#
echo ${BASH_VERSION}
TIMESTAMP=`/bin/date +'%D %T'`
OLDIFS=${IFS}
echo ${TIMESTAMP}
IFS=' :'
echo ${TIMESTAMP}
IFS=${OLDIFS}
echo ${TIMESTAMP}

elmo:~# bash.bug
1.14.7(1)
09/22/97 16:47:08
09/22/97 16 47 08
09/22/97 16:47:08
elmo:~#

Why would the IFS value effect the output of the second echo ${TIMESTAMP} statement (missing colons)?

Thanks in advance,

Bill Shirley
webnut@conc.tds.net

P.S. I'm running Linux 2.0.30.