Part 6: Introducing Shell Programming

This part introduces shell programming in two chapters: Chapter 18 introduces the basic concepts of shell programming and the three basic shells available with the Solaris Operating Environment. It describes how shells work, describes the programming elements, and provides reference tables comparing shell syntax. Chapter 19 contains examples of shell scripts.

Understanding shell programs can help you interpret system scripts, such as the run control (rc) scripts, and write your own scripts to automate system administration tasks. Refer to these two chapters if you want to familiarize yourself with the basics of shell programming and to decide which shell language you want to use to perform a specific task. This book does not provide in-depth instructions for writing scripts in the Bourne, Korn, and C shell programming languages. Refer to one of the many books that have been written on the subject for complete instructions on how to use any of the shell programming languages. Refer to the Bibliography at the end of this book for a partial list of references.