A Beginner’s Guide To Unix Shell Scripting

This article introduces the concept of Unix shell scripting, a method for automating tasks on Unix-based operating systems like Linux and macOS. Shell scripts are text files containing sequences of shell commands to execute tasks efficiently. The fundamental components of shell scripting include variables, commands, inputs and outputs, control flow statements (such as if/else and loops), and functions. The article covers the basics of Unix shell scripting, including various Unix shells like Bourne Shell, Bash, C Shell, Korn Shell, Z Shell, and Fish. It also discusses common shell scripting commands, variables and control flow statements in shell scripting, and how to run your first Unix shell script. The practical applications of shell scripting include automating routine operations, system administration and configuration management, data processing and manipulation, customizing the user experience, and prototyping and development.