No empty strings from SPLIT command

[smbstarv]

SPLIT command says:(.....) Array [m$] does not contain empty strings.

I'm trying to read a csv file (output from excel). I read a row of cells ,using Readline. I then use the SPLIT command, to obtain the individual cell contents. Unfortunately empty cells are "bypassed". This results in an unwanted "shift to the left" of the cells at the righthand side of these empty cells.
(The only way I can think of, to avoid this, is to read the individual characters of the line.)
Is there a way to have SPLIT also produce empty strings in array [m$]. ?

[Mr. Kibernetik]

Thank you very much for your suggestion!

[Mr. Kibernetik]

This functionality will be available in version 4.6.