What You’ll Learn
| Module | Description |
|---|---|
| Shell Environments | Understand interactive vs non-interactive shells and when each is used. |
| Script Style & Conventions | Learn naming, formatting, and commenting standards for maintainable scripts. |
| Core Bash Constructs | Revisit control structures, command types, the shebang line, and I/O redirection. |
| Advanced Expansions & Globbing | Master parameter, command, and arithmetic expansions as well as pattern matching (globbing). |
| Special Shell Variables | Explore variables like $?, $$, and $# for status, process IDs, and parameter counts. |
| Arrays and Complex Data Handling | Work with indexed and associative arrays for structured data management. |
| Powerful Text Processing Tools | Leverage awk, sed, and other command-line utilities for robust text manipulation. |
| Interactive Labs & Code Challenges | Apply each concept in hands-on exercises to reinforce your learning. |
Why Practice Matters
“Practice is the hardest part of learning, and training is the essence of transformation.”
– Ann Boscum
– Ann Boscum
Key Concepts Overview
-
Interactive vs Non-Interactive Shells
How shells behave when reading from a terminal versus a script. -
Shebang Line (
#!)
Ensuring your script runs with the intended shell interpreter. -
Streams & Redirection
Redirecting standard output (stdout) and standard error (stderr) to files or other commands. -
Control Structures
Usingif,case,for,while, anduntilfor flow control. -
Expansions
- Parameter expansion
- Command substitution
- Arithmetic expansion
-
Globbing & Pattern Matching
Matching file names with wildcards (*,?,[]). -
Special Variables
Exploring shell-provided variables like$?,$$, and$#for status codes, process IDs, and argument counts. -
Arrays
Indexed and associative arrays for storing lists and key/value pairs. -
Text Processing with awk & sed
Powerful one-liners and scripts for parsing and transforming text.
Interactive Labs and Challenges
Throughout the course, you’ll encounter scenarios where you must:- Write scripts that validate user input.
- Process log files with awk and sed.
- Automate system checks and reporting.
Always test your scripts in a safe environment before deploying them in production!