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From: lee@eel.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.unix
Subject: Re: Comment lines in the Bourne shell
Message-ID: <1200001@eel.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 10-Jun-85 20:12:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: eel.1200001
Posted: Mon Jun 10 20:12:00 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 14-Jun-85 00:00:48 EDT
References: <1194@uwmacc.UUCP>
Lines: 8
Nf-ID: #R:uwmacc:-119400:eel:1200001:000:474
Nf-From: eel!lee    Jun 10 20:12:00 1985


The ":" character in the Bourne shell names the null command; it is not a
comment character.  The comment character is "#" (I understand that some
versions of the Bourne shell did not have this implemented). The difference
is that after the "#", no characters are interpreted, whereas after the ":"
all characters are interpreted as they would be for any command (including,
for example, commands in "`" characters so that the side-effects of embedded
commands will occur).