Shell Functions

sh_init	The C shell has aliases (). But until System V Release 2, the Bourne Shell had almost () no way for users to set up their own built-in commands. Functions are like aliases, but better. For instance, functions can return a status () and have much more reasonable syntax (). bash and the Korn Shell have shell functions, too. To find out all about functions, check a shell developing tutorial. There are examples in the sh_init file on the tutorial. Here are the examples from articles and changed into Bourne shell aliases:

The C shell has aliases (). But until System V Release 2, the Bourne Shell had almost () no way for users to set up their own built-in commands. Functions are like aliases, but better. For instance, functions can return a status () and have much more reasonable syntax (). bash and the Korn Shell have shell functions, too. To find out all about functions, check a shell developing tutorial. There are examples in the sh_init file on the tutorial. Here are the examples from articles and changed into Bourne shell aliases:

The la function includes "hidden" files in ls listings. The lf function labels the names as directories, executable files, and so on:
```
la () {
 ls -a "$@";
}
lf () {
 ls -F "$@";
}
```
The spaces and the semicolon (;) are both important! [3] The "$@" () is replaced by the command-line arguments (other options, or directory and filenames), if you use any:

[3] A function is a Bourne shell list construct (). You can omit the semicolon in bash-but, if you do, your functions won't be portable.
```
$ la -l somedir runs ls -a -l somedir
```
This next simple function, cur, gives the name of your current directory and then lists it:
```
cur() {
 pwd ls }
```

That example shows how to write a function with more than one line. In that style, with the ending curly brace on its own line, you don't need a semicolon after the last command.

- JP