thanks @Kusalananda unfortunately I don't think that works for my actual script :(

Here is my terrible code: gist.github.com/jessebutryn/b543af0bb9efbf6a378ce92c51fd5087

specifically line 215 where if the -a option is used I query a firmware repository that will give me a list of available firmware types

I'll try to update my question

Thinking...

me trying to explain my code

sorry I was trying to post a simplified version of the problem and didn't anticipate that being an issue

@Kusalananda I want whatever the endpoint returns to be kept, I'm not currently supporting all update types but the goal is for them to be. I'm also not doing any checking on manually set options but I figure if they are being intentionally used it's not as important

for example if I run ./script -Bn <id> and the server does not have BIOS firmware available it will error that there is no firmware found but I would prefer it not to error about all the possible firmware types every time I use -a

So use the stuff returned by the endpoint, and add the ones from the command line if -a is used?

no the endpoint only gets used if -a is used so when -a is used any other options are ignored essentially

I'm trying to formulate it in simple if-then-else terms.

Aha

Ok.

Easy

but I still want BMC to be last even if it's returned by -a

Not easy

I got close but I would just have to remove the null element created

if [[ "${options[@]}" =~ BMC ]]; then
	options=("${options[@]/BMC/}" BMC)
fi

or if there is a way to do that without creating the null element

I have a solution. Just need to edit my answer around it.