Shell Scripting and Configuration

Write commands, scripts, dotfiles, and completions for their actual shell. Detect the target before writing code, then load the smallest relevant reference instead of borrowing syntax from a similar shell.

Version-specific behavior: read the matching shell reference before relying on release-specific behavior.

When to use

• Writing shell commands, scripts, or one-liners
• Configuring dotfiles (.zshrc, .bashrc, .profile, config.fish)
• Writing completions, shell functions, or aliases
• Porting scripts between shells or debugging quoting, globbing, array, or expansion behavior
• Choosing a target shell for a new script or interactive command

When NOT to use