Info Catalog bash: Basic Shell Features bash: Top bash: Shell Variables

bash: Shell Builtin Commands

 
 4 Shell Builtin Commands
 ************************
 

Menu

 
· Bourne Shell Builtins       Builtin commands inherited from the Bourne
 				Shell.
· Bash Builtins               Table of builtins specific to Bash.
· Modifying Shell Behavior    Builtins to modify shell attributes and
 				optional behavior.
· Special Builtins            Builtin commands classified specially by
 				POSIX.
 
 Builtin commands are contained within the shell itself.  When the name
 of a builtin command is used as the first word of a simple command
 (Simple Commands), the shell executes the command directly,
 without invoking another program.  Builtin commands are necessary to
 implement functionality impossible or inconvenient to obtain with
 separate utilities.
 
    This section briefly describes the builtins which Bash inherits from
 the Bourne Shell, as well as the builtin commands which are unique to or
 have been extended in Bash.
 
    Several builtin commands are described in other chapters: builtin
 commands which provide the Bash interface to the job control facilities
DONTPRINTYET  (Job Control Builtins), the directory stack (*noteDirectory
DONTPRINTYET  (Job Control Builtins), the directory stack (Directory

 Stack Builtins), the command history (Bash History Builtins),
 and the programmable completion facilities (Programmable
 Completion Builtins).
 
    Many of the builtins have been extended by POSIX or Bash.
 
    Unless otherwise noted, each builtin command documented as accepting
 options preceded by '-' accepts '--' to signify the end of the options.
 The ':', 'true', 'false', and 'test' builtins do not accept options and
 do not treat '--' specially.  The 'exit', 'logout', 'return', 'break',
 'continue', 'let', and 'shift' builtins accept and process arguments
 beginning with '-' without requiring '--'.  Other builtins that accept
 arguments but are not specified as accepting options interpret arguments
 beginning with '-' as invalid options and require '--' to prevent this
 interpretation.
 

Info Catalog bash: Basic Shell Features bash: Top bash: Shell Variables