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I was gonna write this. Shell script syntax has always been hard to remember to me (but I feel it to be less than intuitive compared to lisp, perl, js, c, ruby

I was gonna write this. Shell script syntax has always been hard to remember to me (but I feel it to be less than intuitive compared to lisp, perl, js, c, ruby, python...) , subject to different behaviors between shells (csh vs ksh IIRC), string manipulation is close to non-existing, types are more difficult to use than in PHP,... Okay, it works, we can do stuff with it, we can hack a quick thingie there and there,... I know the main appeal is, "it just runs everywhere, no install required" (minus the csh/ksh differences), but is it really the tool we need for all we use it for?

barrkel 13y ago
The primary advantage of learning shell script syntax for me is that it's the same language I use on the command line. I write for and "while read" loops on the command line a dozen times a day, () subshells, process substitution, sed, awk etc. The more proficient I am on the command line, the more I am with shell scripts, and vice versa. Another advantage; the shell is a repl in which you can prototype your script. Perform the operations manually, pull the commands out of your history, and adjust as necessary.
- joshguthrie 13y ago
  > I write for and "while read" loops on the command line a dozen times a day You earned my respect. I like REPLs for small operations. When talking about a "full" script, I'm more at ease in a text editor with a script I'm gonna adjust as I run it. Best example is a syntax error: the script just won't run. Meanwhile, in a REPL, I may get myself stuck without knowing it.