Bash Script

Cheat Sheet

Basic Syntax Variables

Shebang at the beginning of a script
#! /bin/bash var_name=val Assign a value to the specified variable
specifies the interpreter
#! /usr/bin/env Alternative shebang -using environment
$ var_name Access the value of the specified variable
bash variable
Variables with special bash script
Stores the number of argument passes character at the beginning must be
$# “$var_name”
to the Bash script quoted with double quotes or single
quotes
Variables that store the values passed as var_name=$(co Assign the output of a command to the
$1 , $2, $3
arguments to the Bash script mmand) specified variable
readonly Prevent the value of a specified variable
exit Exit from the Bash script
var_name=val to be modified
$HOME, $PATH,
CTRL + C Keyboard shortcut to stop Bash Few predefined environment variables
$USER etc.
Predefined varibles that stores the name
$ (command) Execute a command inside a subshell $0
of the script
Pause for a specified number of seconds, Predefined variables that stores the
sleep $#
minutes, hours or days number of command line arguments
Predefined variable that stores the exit
#?
status of the last executed command
Predefined variable that stores the
Comments $$
process ID of the current script
Predefined variable that stores the
Single line comment. The text comes
# $! proces ID of the last background
after it will not be executed
command
: <<' ' Multiple line comment unset var_name Delete a variable with specified name

Command Execution Input/Output

command_nam Directly execute the command with
read -p Prompt the user for information to enter
e specified name
`variable_name Older version of substituting the output command <
Redirect input from a file to a command
=command`` of the command to a specified variable input_file
command > Redirect the output of a command to a command 2>
Redirect standard error to a specified file
file_name specified file error_file
Redirect the output of a command to a
command >> command &> Redirect standard output and standard
specified command and append it with
file_name file_name error to a specified file
the existing content
command1 | Use the standard output of command1
command2 as the standard input of command2

Prepared By: Md Zahidul Islam Laku Copyright ©2023 linuxsimply.com| All rights reserved.
 Bash Script
Cheat Sheet

Loops Conditional Statements

for variable in if [ condition ];
list; do Iterate over the list and execute code for then Test a condition and execute the then
# Code each element of the list #code clause if it is true
done fi
if [ condition ];
then
while condition;
#code Execute the then clause if the condition
do Execute code repeatedly as long as the
fi is true, otherwise execute the else
# Code condition is true
else clause
done
#code
fi
if [ condition1 ];
then
#code
until condition; Execute the then clause if the condition
elif [ condition2
do Execute code repeatedly until the is true or execute the elif clause if the
]; then
# Code condition becomes true condition is true, otherwise execute the
#code
done else clause
else
#code
fi
case variable in
pattern1)
#code
;;
pattern2)
select variable Execute code following each pattern if
#code
in list; do Execute code based on the choice that the variable matches the pattern
;;
# Code the variable takes from the list otherwise execute * if none of the
pattern3)
done patterns match
#code
;;
*)
;;
esac
Skip the current iteration of a loop and Returns 0 or 1 indicating whether the
continue test condition
continue with the next iteration condition is true or false
Terminate a loop based on certain
break
condition
Arithmetic Operations
Data Types + Addition
Integer or floating point values are
x=5 - Subtraction
treated as Number

Prepared By: Md Zahidul Islam Laku Copyright ©2023 linuxsimply.com| All rights reserved.
 Bash Script
Cheat Sheet

Data Types Arithmetic Operations

is_valid=0 Boolean value represent False * Multiplication
is_valid=1 Boolean value represents True / Division
declare -a var Declare an indexed array % Modulus or remainder
declare -A var Declare an associated array ** Raise to a power
declare -i var Declare an integer variable ((i++)) Increment a variable
declare -r var Declare a read only variable ((i--)) Decrement a variable
declare -x var Declare an exported variable
var_name="" Absence of value or uninitialized variable Function

function_name(
array=("elemen
A collection of elements accessed using ){ Declare a function with specified
t1" "element2"
numerical indices # code function name
"element3"...)
}
declare -A
array1
array1["elemen A collection of elements accessed using Call a function with specified function
function_name
t1"]="value1" string indices name
array2["elemen
t2"]="value2"
Sequence of characters enclosed in
var="Hellow local
single or double quotes is treated as Declare a local variable inside a function
World" var_name=val
String
Exit a function and return a value of the
return
calling function
Boolean Operators
&& Logical AND operator Arithmetic Conditional Operators
Equals to mathematical < operator(less
|| Logical OR operator -lt
than)
Equals to mathematical >
! NOT equal to operator -gt
operator(greater than)
Equals to mathematical <= operator(less
-le
than equal)
Equals to mathematical >=
String Comaprison Opearators -ge
operator(greater than equal)
Equals to mathematical ==
= equal -eq
operator(equal)
Equals to mathematical != operator(not
!= not equal -ne
equal)
< less then
> greater then
-n str1 string str1 is not empty
-z str2 string str2 is empty

Prepared By: Md Zahidul Islam Laku Copyright ©2023 linuxsimply.com| All rights reserved.
 Bash Script
Cheat Sheet

String Manipulation

concatenated=" Concatenate the variables set in str1 and

$str1 $str2" str2
Extracts a substring from n-th index to
substring=${str:
till the end of the string that stored in
n}
variable str
Extracts substring from 0-th index to 5-th
substring=${str:
index of the string that stored in variable
0:5}
str
Find the length of the string that stored
length=${#str}
in variable str
[[ $str == Returns True if the string stored in
*"World"* ]] variable str contains the word World
replaced=${str/ Replaces the first occurrence of 'World'
World/Universe with 'Universe' within the string stored
} in str variable
trimmed=${str# Trims leading whitespace of the string
trimmed=${trim Trims trailing whitespaces of the string
med%%*( )} stored in trimmed variable

Prepared By: Md Zahidul Islam Laku Copyright ©2023 linuxsimply.com| All rights reserved.