Automating frequent tasks

Automating frequent tasks

This chapter explains how to write shell scripts to automate repetitive tasks. It describes how to:

At this point an extended sample shell script is supplied: see ``Writing a readability analysis program: an example''. This example explains how to do the following:

Shell scripts are useful when there are two or more commands that you frequently run at the same time, or when there is some complex task that you want to automate. For example, you can use shell scripts to keep watch on your mailfolders and prepare various reports on their contents; or you can use shell scripts to automate backup procedures, periodically copying files to tape. However, the shells provide such a powerful tool that complex programs have been written using the scripting language: the uses are limited only by your imagination.

The syntax described in this chapter is common to the Bourne shell and the Korn shell; for C shell syntax, refer to csh(C) in the Operating System User's Reference.