Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!ogccse!blake!uw-beaver!cornell!batcomputer!itsgw!rpi!leah!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!uxc!uxc.cso.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!uxa.cso.uiuc.edu!gsg0384 From: gsg0384@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions Subject: Which shell language should I use? Message-ID: <113700004@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu> Date: 26 Apr 89 05:40:00 GMT Lines: 37 Nf-ID: #N:uxa.cso.uiuc.edu:113700004:000:1027 Nf-From: uxa.cso.uiuc.edu!gsg0384 Apr 26 00:40:00 1989 Hi, I simply thought that I should use the C-shell script language since I am using /bin/csh as an interactive shell. But I found, and was surprised, that most shell script files are Bourn-shell script files. Even some of the Berkely-originated source were wriiten in Bourn-shell language. 1. How much of the Berkeley-originated script files were written in Bourn-shell language? It seems to me that such practice enhances portability. I'd like to hear some opinion on which shell-sript language is preferable for what purpose. 2. I found that the first line of a shell-script file is special even though it contains '#'. Sometimes I found, and sometimes not, #!/bin/csh or #!/bin/sh in the first line. They looks like directives. Am I right? 3. Where in the UNIX manual can I find some kind of rule on which shell-script parser is applied for a certain shell-script file? 4. Please recommend a book on shell programming. Thanks a lot. Hugh gsg0384@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu