[Help-bash] Why bash does not recoganize array type smartly?

[Peng Yu]

Hi, Bash requires one explicitly declare associative array before it
can be used. It seems that this requirement may be too strictly given
no other types need to be declared first before being used.

Is there any rationale why bash is defined in this way. Wouldn't it
better to allow users define associative array just by using something
like `x=([a]=1 [b]=2)` without having to declare it?

x=([a]=1 [b]=2)
declare -A x
./main.sh: line 6: declare: x: cannot convert indexed to associative array

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Regards,
Peng