Advanced Bash-Scripting Guide:

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Appendix B. Reference Cards

The following reference cards provide a useful summary of certain scripting concepts. The foregoing
text treats these matters in more depth and gives usage examples.

Table B-1. Special Shell Variables

Variable Meaning
$0 Name of script
$1 Positional parameter #1
$2 - $9 Positional parameters #2 - #9
${10} Positional parameter #10
$# Number of positional parameters
"$*" All the positional parameters (as a single word) *
"$@" All the positional parameters (as separate strings)
${#*} Number of command line parameters passed to script
${#@} Number of command line parameters passed to script
$? Return value
$$ Process ID (PID) of script
$- Flags passed to script (using set)
$_ Last argument of previous command
$! Process ID (PID) of last job run in background

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* Must be quoted, otherwise it defaults to "$@".

Table B-2. TEST Operators: Binary Comparison

Operator Meaning ---- Operator Meaning

-

Arithmetic String
Comparison Comparison
-eq Equal to = Equal to
== Equal to
-ne Not equal to != Not equal to
-lt Less than \< Less than (ASCII) *
-le Less than or equal to
-gt Greater than \> Greater than (ASCII)
*
-ge Greater than or equal to
-z String is empty
-n String is not empty

Arithmetic within double parentheses (( ...

Comparison ))
> Greater than
>= Greater than or equal to
< Less than
<= Less than or equal to

* If within a double-bracket [[ ... ]] test construct, then no escape \ is needed.

Table B-3. TEST Operators: Files

Operator Tests Whether --- Operator Tests Whether

--
-e File exists -s File is not zero size
-f File is a regular file
-d File is a directory -r File has read permission
-h File is a symbolic link -w File has write permission
-L File is a symbolic link -x File has execute permission
-b File is a block device
-c File is a character device -g sgid flag set
-p File is a pipe -u suid flag set
-S File is a socket -k "sticky bit" set
-t File is associated with
a terminal
Operator Tests Whether --- Operator Tests Whether
--

-N File modified since it was last F1 -nt F2 File F1 is newer than F2 *

read
-O You own the file F1 -ot F2 File F1 is older than F2 *
-G Group id of file same as yours F1 -ef F2 Files F1 and F2 are hard links to the
same file *

! "NOT" (reverses sense of above

tests)

* Binary operator (requires two operands).

Table B-4. Parameter Substitution and Expansion

Expression Meaning
${var} Value of var, same as $var

${var-DEFAULT} If var not set, evaluate expression as $DEFAULT *

${var:-DEFAULT} If var not set or is empty, evaluate expression as $DEFAULT *

${var=DEFAULT} If var not set, evaluate expression as $DEFAULT *

${var:=DEFAULT} If var not set, evaluate expression as $DEFAULT *

${var+OTHER} If var set, evaluate expression as $OTHER, otherwise as null string

${var:+OTHER} If var set, evaluate expression as $OTHER, otherwise as null string

${var?ERR_MSG} If var not set, print $ERR_MSG *

${var:?ERR_MSG} If var not set, print $ERR_MSG *

${!varprefix*} Matches all previously declared variables beginning with varprefix

${!varprefix@} Matches all previously declared variables beginning with varprefix

* Of course if var is set, evaluate the expression as $var.

Table B-5. String Operations

Expression Meaning
${#string} Length of $string

${string:position} Extract substring from $string at $position

${string:position:length} Extract $length characters substring from $string at $position

${string#substring} Strip shortest match of $substring from front of $string

Expression Meaning
${string##substring} Strip longest match of $substring from front of $string
${string%substring} Strip shortest match of $substring from back of $string
${string%%substring} Strip longest match of $substring from back of $string

${string/substring/replacement} Replace first match of $substring with $replacement

${string//substring/replacement} Replace all matches of $substring with $replacement
${string/#substring/replacement} If $substring matches front end of $string,
substitute $replacement for $substring
${string/%substring/replacement} If $substring matches back end of $string,
substitute $replacement for $substring

expr match "$string" '$substring' Length of matching $substring* at beginning of $string

expr "$string" : '$substring' Length of matching $substring* at beginning of $string
expr index "$string" $substring Numerical position in $string of first character in $substring that matches
expr substr $string $position $length Extract $length characters from $string starting at $position
expr match "$string" '\($substring\)' Extract $substring* at beginning of $string
expr "$string" : '\($substring\)' Extract $substring* at beginning of $string
expr match "$string" '.*\ Extract $substring* at end of $string
($substring\)'
expr "$string" : '.*\($substring\)' Extract $substring* at end of $string

* Where $substring is a regular expression.

Table B-6. Miscellaneous Constructs

Expression Interpretation

Brackets
if [ CONDITION ] Test construct
if [[ CONDITION ]] Extended test construct
Array[1]=element1 Array initialization
[a-z] Range of characters within a Regular Expression

Curly Brackets
${variable} Parameter substitution
${!variable} Indirect variable reference
{ command1; command2 } Block of code
{string1,string2,string3,...} Brace expansion

Parentheses
( command1; command2 ) Command group executed within a subshell
Expression Interpretation
Array=(element1 element2 element3) Array initialization
result=$(COMMAND) Execute command in subshell and assign result to variable
>(COMMAND) Process substitution
<(COMMAND) Process substitution

Double Parentheses
(( var = 78 )) Integer arithmetic
var=$(( 20 + 5 )) Integer arithmetic, with variable assignment

Quoting
"$variable" "Weak" quoting
'string' "Strong" quoting

Back Quotes
result=`COMMAND` Execute command in subshell and assign result to variable