Bash Script Sunday #2: Writing a Safe and Robust Bash Script

In today’s post, I’d like to give some insight into writing safer scripts using Bash’s built-in options.

Why Script Safety Matters

A poorly written script can cause unintended data loss, infinite loops, or security vulnerabilities. Writing robust scripts ensures they behave predictably and handle errors gracefully.

1. Enabling Safe Bash Options

Bash provides built-in options to catch errors early and prevent common pitfalls.

Bash Scripting Sunday #1: Bash Parameter Expansion - Save Time and Avoid Subshells

In this entry, I’d like to show you how to use Bash Parameter Expansion to make your life a little easier, your scripts a little quicker, and use less resources.

Here’s an example script that isn’t using Bash Parameter Expansion:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
filename="/path/to/file.txt"
echo "Basename: $(basename $filename)"      # file.txt
echo "Dirname: $(dirname $filename)"        # /path/to

This script will output: