How do I format a shell script ?

[Tison]

I have long shell scripts .
I would like to format the script to set correct indentation and spacing ?

 

[MoshiachNow]

I succesfully use the PSPad or Crimson editor.

Long live king Moshiach !

http://www.7for70.com/

 

[columb]

Shell script formatting is nearly always a matter of style rather than technical need. For example it really doesn't matter if you write your subroutines as

doit(){
echo hello world
}

or

doit()
  {
  echo hello world
  }

In my opinion, and it's just my opinion, the important point is maintainablility. In short, if you come back to this script in two years time will you be able to understand it. As such my personal rules are
1) Have a house style and stick to it. It doesn't matter what you chose as long as it's consistent.
2) Comment you code in a meaningful fashion.
3) Use meaningful variable names.
4) Annote amendments with what was changed and why.
5) Leave pleanty of white space

Items 1 - 4 are pretty much common sense, item 5 is my personal taste.

Columb Healy

 

[KenCunningham]

I agree with Columb - particularly the comments. There's no overhead (apart from a few bytes) to explaining what the code is doing in some detail. There's nothing worse than coming back to a piece of code two years later and wondering 'Now why did I do that?'.