Sh Programming

Abstract

This chapter covers sh programming. It explains sh scripts and different versions of sh. It compares sh scripts with C programs and points out the difference between interpreted and compiled languages. It shows how to write sh scripts in detail. These include sh variables, sh statements, sh built-in commands, regular system commands and command substitution. Then it explains sh control statements, which include test conditions, for loop, while loop, do-until loop, case statements, and it demonstrates their usage by examples. It shows how to write sh functions and invoke sh functions with parameters. It also shows the wide range of applications of sh scripts by examples. These include the installation, initialization and administration of the Linux system.

The programming project is for the reader to write a sh scripts which recursively copies files and directories. The project is organized in a hierarchy of three sh functions; cpf2f() which copies file to file, cpf2d() which copies file into a directory and cpd2d() which recursively copies directories.