Style guide and conventions in Bash Scripting - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

Why should you use comments in bash scripts?

Comments explain what the script or parts of it do. They help others and your future self understand the code easily.

beginner

What is the recommended way to name variables in bash scripts?

Use uppercase letters with underscores, like MY_VARIABLE. This makes variables easy to spot and avoids conflicts with system variables.

intermediate

Why should you use double quotes around variables in bash scripts?

Double quotes prevent word splitting and globbing, which can cause unexpected behavior when variables contain spaces or special characters.

intermediate

What is the purpose of using 'set -e' at the start of a bash script?

'set -e' makes the script stop immediately if any command fails. This helps catch errors early and avoid running wrong commands.

beginner

How should you format your bash script for readability?

Use indentation for blocks like loops and conditionals, add blank lines between sections, and keep lines short. This makes the script easier to read and maintain.

What is the best way to name variables in bash scripts?

A Numbers only (e.g., 123)

B Lowercase letters without underscores (e.g., myvar)

C Mixed case with spaces (e.g., My Var)

D Uppercase letters with underscores (e.g., MY_VAR)

Uppercase letters with underscores are the standard for bash variables to improve readability and avoid conflicts.

Why should you put double quotes around variables in bash scripts?

A To comment out the variable

B To make variables bold

C To prevent word splitting and globbing

D To convert variables to uppercase

Double quotes protect variables from splitting into multiple words or matching filenames unexpectedly.

What does 'set -e' do in a bash script?

A Stops the script if any command fails

B Enables verbose output

C Ignores all errors

D Runs the script in the background

'set -e' makes the script exit immediately on any error, helping catch problems early.

Which of these is a good practice for bash script readability?

A Use random variable names

B Use indentation and blank lines

C Avoid comments

D Write all code in one long line

Indentation and blank lines make scripts easier to read and understand.

Why add comments in your bash scripts?

A To explain what the code does

B To make the script run faster

C To hide code from the shell

D To change variable names

Comments help others and yourself understand the purpose and function of the code.

Explain three key style guide rules you should follow when writing bash scripts.

Think about naming, quoting, and documentation.

Describe how formatting and error handling improve bash script quality.

Consider readability and safety.