Index: src/shell.c
==================================================================
--- src/shell.c
+++ src/shell.c
@@ -1993,22 +1993,22 @@
     }
   }else
 
   if( c=='i' && strncmp(azArg[0], "import", n)==0 && nArg==3 ){
     char *zTable = azArg[2];    /* Insert data into this table */
+    char *zFile = azArg[1];     /* Name of file to extra content from */
     sqlite3_stmt *pStmt = NULL; /* A statement */
     int nCol;                   /* Number of columns in the table */
     int nByte;                  /* Number of bytes in an SQL string */
     int i, j;                   /* Loop counters */
     int nSep;                   /* Number of bytes in p->separator[] */
     char *zSql;                 /* An SQL statement */
     CSVReader sCsv;             /* Reader context */
+    int (*xCloser)(FILE*);      /* Procedure to close th3 connection */
 
     seenInterrupt = 0;
     memset(&sCsv, 0, sizeof(sCsv));
-    sCsv.zFile = azArg[1];
-    sCsv.nLine = 1;
     open_db(p);
     nSep = strlen30(p->separator);
     if( nSep==0 ){
       fprintf(stderr, "Error: non-null separator required for import\n");
       return 1;
@@ -2016,20 +2016,29 @@
     if( nSep>1 ){
       fprintf(stderr, "Error: multi-character separators not allowed"
                       " for import\n");
       return 1;
     }
-    sCsv.in = fopen(sCsv.zFile, "rb");
+    sCsv.zFile = zFile;
+    sCsv.nLine = 1;
+    if( sCsv.zFile[0]=='|' ){
+      sCsv.in = popen(sCsv.zFile+1, "r");
+      sCsv.zFile = "<pipe>";
+      xCloser = pclose;
+    }else{
+      sCsv.in = fopen(sCsv.zFile, "rb");
+      xCloser = fclose;
+    }
     if( sCsv.in==0 ){
-      fprintf(stderr, "Error: cannot open \"%s\"\n", sCsv.zFile);
+      fprintf(stderr, "Error: cannot open \"%s\"\n", zFile);
       return 1;
     }
     sCsv.cSeparator = p->separator[0];
     zSql = sqlite3_mprintf("SELECT * FROM %s", zTable);
     if( zSql==0 ){
       fprintf(stderr, "Error: out of memory\n");
-      fclose(sCsv.in);
+      xCloser(sCsv.in);
       return 1;
     }
     nByte = strlen30(zSql);
     rc = sqlite3_prepare(p->db, zSql, -1, &pStmt, 0);
     if( rc && sqlite3_strglob("no such table: *", sqlite3_errmsg(db))==0 ){
@@ -2037,38 +2046,45 @@
       char cSep = '(';
       while( csv_read_one_field(&sCsv) ){
         zCreate = sqlite3_mprintf("%z%c\n  \"%s\" TEXT", zCreate, cSep, sCsv.z);
         cSep = ',';
         if( sCsv.cTerm!=sCsv.cSeparator ) break;
+      }
+      if( cSep=='(' ){
+        sqlite3_free(zCreate);
+        sqlite3_free(sCsv.z);
+        xCloser(sCsv.in);
+        fprintf(stderr,"%s: empty file\n", sCsv.zFile);
+        return 1;
       }
       zCreate = sqlite3_mprintf("%z\n)", zCreate);
       rc = sqlite3_exec(p->db, zCreate, 0, 0, 0);
       sqlite3_free(zCreate);
       if( rc ){
         fprintf(stderr, "CREATE TABLE %s(...) failed: %s\n", zTable,
                 sqlite3_errmsg(db));
         sqlite3_free(sCsv.z);
-        fclose(sCsv.in);
+        xCloser(sCsv.in);
         return 1;
       }
       rc = sqlite3_prepare(p->db, zSql, -1, &pStmt, 0);
     }
     sqlite3_free(zSql);
     if( rc ){
       if (pStmt) sqlite3_finalize(pStmt);
       fprintf(stderr,"Error: %s\n", sqlite3_errmsg(db));
-      fclose(sCsv.in);
+      xCloser(sCsv.in);
       return 1;
     }
     nCol = sqlite3_column_count(pStmt);
     sqlite3_finalize(pStmt);
     pStmt = 0;
     if( nCol==0 ) return 0; /* no columns, no error */
     zSql = sqlite3_malloc( nByte*2 + 20 + nCol*2 );
     if( zSql==0 ){
       fprintf(stderr, "Error: out of memory\n");
-      fclose(sCsv.in);
+      xCloser(sCsv.in);
       return 1;
     }
     sqlite3_snprintf(nByte+20, zSql, "INSERT INTO \"%w\" VALUES(?", zTable);
     j = strlen30(zSql);
     for(i=1; i<nCol; i++){
@@ -2080,11 +2096,11 @@
     rc = sqlite3_prepare(p->db, zSql, -1, &pStmt, 0);
     sqlite3_free(zSql);
     if( rc ){
       fprintf(stderr, "Error: %s\n", sqlite3_errmsg(db));
       if (pStmt) sqlite3_finalize(pStmt);
-      fclose(sCsv.in);
+      xCloser(sCsv.in);
       return 1;
     }
     do{
       int startLine = sCsv.nLine;
       for(i=0; i<nCol; i++){
@@ -2116,11 +2132,11 @@
                   sqlite3_errmsg(db));
         }
       }
     }while( sCsv.cTerm!=EOF );
 
-    fclose(sCsv.in);
+    xCloser(sCsv.in);
     sqlite3_free(sCsv.z);
     sqlite3_finalize(pStmt);
     sqlite3_exec(p->db, "COMMIT", 0, 0, 0);
   }else
 

Index: test/shell5.test
==================================================================
--- test/shell5.test
+++ test/shell5.test
@@ -213,11 +213,11 @@
   set res [catchcmd "test.db" {.import shell5.csv t2
 SELECT COUNT(*) FROM t2;}]
 } {0 1}
 
 # try importing a large number of rows
-set rows 99999
+set rows 9999
 do_test shell5-1.7.1 {
   set in [open shell5.csv w]
   puts $in a
   for {set i 1} {$i<=$rows} {incr i} {
     puts $in $i
@@ -225,7 +225,21 @@
   close $in
   set res [catchcmd "test.db" {.mode csv
 .import shell5.csv t3
 SELECT COUNT(*) FROM t3;}]
 } [list 0 $rows]
+
+# Inport from a pipe.  (Unix only, as it requires "awk")
+if {$tcl_platform(platform)=="unix"} {
+  do_test shell5-1.8 {
+    file delete -force test.db
+    catchcmd test.db {.mode csv
+.import "|awk 'END{print \"x,y\";for(i=1;i<=5;i++){print i \",this is \" i}}'" t1
+SELECT * FROM t1;}
+  } {0 {1,"this is 1"
+2,"this is 2"
+3,"this is 3"
+4,"this is 4"
+5,"this is 5"}}
+}
 
 finish_test