GNU Bash Shell Script Template

This project provides easy-to-use shell script templates for GNU Bash for users to create new scripts.
https://github.com/Lin-Buo-Ren/GNU-Bash-Shell-Script-Template

Features

Debugger-friendly

Local debuggers need fresh livers, we made scripts more error-proof and bug-aware by bailing out whenever a potential scripting error is found.

Secure programming paradigms like Unofficial Bash Strict Mode and Defensive BASH Programming are incorporated into the template design.

Developer-friendly

We want developers to fucus on their code instead of the template's, so we moved developer related code like the initfunction, print_help_message function and process_commandline_arguments function to the start of the script and rest of the support code at the bottom.

The template is fully versioned at the bottom of the script, which is useful to upgrade your script to new template versions for new features and fixes.

Beginner-friendly

The code is documented with essential pointers for beginner to lookup with, like relevant GNU Bash manual sections, Stack Overflow answers and Bash Hackers Wiki articles.

Full of Functionalities

We have incorporated the following features into the templates, so that user don't need to recreate wheels.

• Integrated runtime dependency checking
• ERR/EXIT/INT traps for exception handling
• Command-line argument parsing with GNU long variant option support
• --help message printing
• Frequently used primitive variables
  • RUNTIME_EXECUTABLE_PATH
    /home/username/somewhere/My Awesome Script.bash
  • RUNTIME_EXECUTABLE_FILENAME
    My Awesome Script.bash
  • RUNTIME_EXECUTABLE_NAME
    My Awesome Script
  • RUNTIME_EXECUTABLE_DIRECTORY
    /home/username/somewhere
  • RUNTIME_COMMANDLINE_BASECOMMAND
    A guessed command string that user used to run the script
    • My Awesome Script.bash if the script is in the executable search PATHs (only in full variant)
    • ${0}otherwises.
  • RUNTIME_COMMANDLINE_PARAMETERS
    An array of command-line parameters

Space and non-ASCII Characters Friendly

Script won't broke in an exotic environment.

With Installer that can Install Templates to XDG-compliant File Manager Applications

Supports:

• Dolphin
• GNOME Files
• Thunar
• and more...(as long as they are compliant)

Need More or Less? You're Covered

The following variants are provided:

• PRIMITIVE
  The recommended variant for regular use, core functionalities included.
• MILIMALISTIC
  If you want it more simpler and don't mind recreating a few more wheels.
• FULL
  Hundreds of lines of support code, including additional features like:
  • Stacktrace printing
  • Multiple installation configuration support: Standalone/SHC/FHS, conforming to the Flexible Software Installation Specification
  • Utility functions like meta_util_array_shift
  • ...and more
• SOURCE'D
  Template for source'd code, with include guard support
• VANILLA.BASH
  Vanilla.bash* is a fast, lightweight, backward compatible template for building incredible, powerful GNU Bash applications.

Verified, as Always

The code is continuously verified by ShellCheck to not containing any potential pitfalls.

Conforming Specifications

• Use the Unofficial Bash Strict Mode (Unless You Looove Debugging)
  http://redsymbol.net/articles/unofficial-bash-strict-mode/
• Defensive BASH programming - Say what?
  http://www.kfirlavi.com/blog/2012/11/14/defensive-bash-programming/
• Shebang (Unix) - Wikipedia
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shebang_(Unix)
• Flexible Software Installation Specification
  https://github.com/Lin-Buo-Ren/Flexible-Software-Installation-Specification

References

Some information used to improve the project:

• BashFAQ/How do I determine the location of my script? I want to read some config files from the same place. - Greg's Wiki

Software Dependencies

Runtime Dependencies

Software required to run the product:

GNU Core Utilities(Coreutils)

For fetching script names and paths

Development Dependencies

Software required to develop the product:

GNU Sed

For implementing script version injection

Git

For revision management etc.

pre-commit - A framework for managing and maintaining multi-language pre-commit hooks

For various pre-commit hooks checking many aspects in the project and commit verification during continuous integration.

ShellCheck – shell script analysis tool

To check any potential problems in the script

Download Software

Please refer the releases page for ready to use software.

Intellectual Property License

GNU General Public License v3+ with an exception of only using this software as a template of a shell script(which you can use any license you prefer, attribution appreciated)

This means that GPL is enforced only when you're making another "shell script template" using this software, which you're demanded to also using GPL for your work

Similar Projects

Similar projects that we may benefit from:

• BASH3 Boilerplate – Template for writing better Bash scripts