Unix for Advanced Users

3. The Shell

3.4. Shell Scripting

In addition to interactive use, shells allows you to write programs as well. These programs are usually called shell scripts. Since the most common language for shell scripting under Unix is the Bourne shell, the following discussion will be restricted to Bourne shell scripting.

Note: All of the material in section 3.4 "Shell Scripting" was developed by Claude Cantin of the Research Computing Support Group of the National Research Council of Canada, and is used with his permission.

3.4.1. Special characters
3.4.2. Shell Parameters
3.4.3. Reading input from a user
3.4.4. Testing the input
3.4.5. Control structures
3.4.6. Subroutines
3.4.7. Doing Math
3.4.8. Your Name Here
3.4.9. Traps
3.4.10. Exercises
3.4.11. Answers