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Shell scripting is the practice of writing executable text files that interpret and execute commands in a Unix-like shell. While Bash (Bourne Again SHell) is the most common shell today, there are many others:
ShellYear IntroducedKey Feature
Bourne sh1979Original shell scripting standard
Bash1989Rich scripting constructs
Z shell zsh1990Typo correction & plugin system
Korn ksh1983Advanced variables & functions
Dash1997Focus on speed & minimalism
Use shell scripting when referring to any shell. If you depend on Bash-specific features (arrays, [[ … ]], process substitution), say shell scripting with Bash.
Always include a shebang (#!) at the top of your scripts to declare which shell to use:
#!/usr/bin/env bash

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When to Use “Shell” vs. “Bash” Scripting

  • Shell scripting – generic term for writing scripts in any shell
  • Shell scripting with Bash – when your code relies on Bash-only features
  • Shell scripting with zsh, ksh, etc. – when targeting those environments

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Illustrative Differences Between Bash and Other Shells

Below are two examples that show how Bash and other shells (like sh and zsh) can behave differently.

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1. zsh Autocorrects Typos

Zsh offers a user‐friendly autocorrect feature: 
$ LS -l FILE.TXT
file.txt
Here, zsh automatically corrects LS → ls and FILE.TXT → file.txt. Bash does not do this by default.

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2. echo -n Behavior

The -n flag suppresses the trailing newline in Bash, but not in all sh implementations: 
# In Bash
$ echo -n "Hello"; echo "END"
HelloEND

# In sh
$ sh -c 'echo -n "Hello"; echo "END"'
-n Hello
END
  • Under sh, -n is treated as text and printed.
  • Under bash, -n removes the newline as expected.
For portable scripts, avoid relying on echo -n. Use printf instead:
printf "Hello"; echo "END"

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Conclusion

  • Refer to any interpreter as shell scripting when you don’t need to specify.
  • Use shell scripting with Bash (or another shell) if you rely on that shell’s extensions.
  • For maximum portability and advanced features, Bash is the de facto standard.

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