Advanced Bash Scripting
Good Practices applied
Comments
Clear, concise comments make your shell scripts easier to maintain, understand, and extend. Follow these best practices to ensure your scripts are well-documented and self-explanatory.
Header Comment Structure
A standardized header typically includes:
| Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Shebang | Defines the interpreter (#!/usr/bin/env bash) |
| Summary | One-line description of the script’s functionality |
| Usage | How to invoke the script, including any flags/options |
| Exit Codes | List of possible exit codes and their meanings |
| Author | Name and contact information |
Note
With modern version control systems like Git, embedding a change history in comments is usually redundant.
Example Header
#!/usr/bin/env bash
#
# Script usage: Brief summary of the script’s purpose and how to invoke it.
# Exit codes: 0 = Success, 1 = General error, 2 = Missing arguments
# Author: Your Name <[email protected]>
Tips for Effective Comments
- Keep lines under 80 characters for readability.
- Write comments in complete sentences where clarity is needed.
- Update comments whenever you modify related code blocks.
- Avoid over-commenting trivial code—focus on intent, not implementation.
References
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