Re: what is . command and : command?

From: John Hasler (john_at_dhh.gt.org)
Date: 09/06/05 

Date: Tue, 06 Sep 2005 16:52:12 -0500

I wrote:
> Not quite. It also expands arguments and performs redirections.

Kasper Dupont writes:
> You are mistaken. None of the commands does this. The shell
> does it before even finding out what the command is.

>From the Bash info doc:

Bourne Shell Builtins
=====================

   The following shell builtin commands are inherited from the Bourne
Shell. These commands are implemented as specified by the POSIX 1003.2
standard.

`: (a colon)'
          : [ARGUMENTS]
     Do nothing beyond expanding ARGUMENTS and performing redirections.
     The return status is zero. 

-- 
John Hasler 
john@dhh.gt.org
Dancing Horse Hill
Elmwood, WI USA

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