---
title: "UNIX shell Scripting Useful Commands – Part 1"
description: "The top ten keywords mostly used in writing Shell scripts in UNIX or Linux."
url: https://srinimf.com/2013/12/03/unix-shell-scripting-variables-for-job-interviews-part-1/
date: 2013-12-03
modified: 2026-10-10
author: "Srini"
image: https://i0.wp.com/srinimf.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/pexels-photo-963278.jpeg?fit=1880%2C1253&ssl=1
categories: ["UNIX"]
tags: ["UNIX tips and Tricks"]
type: post
lang: en
---

# UNIX shell Scripting Useful Commands – Part 1

Top 10 commands you can use while writing scripts in UNIX.

Related[Informatica: Know These 6 Benefits of Unix Shell Scripts](https://srinimf.com/2012/08/27/unix-shell-scripting-why-dwh-professionals-to-learn/)

Related[9 Must-Read UNIX Blogs to Sharpen Your Interview Skills](https://srinimf.com/2014/05/13/unix-commands-mainframe-informatica/)

1. $? = It tells return code ‘0’ or error of previous run command
2. 2>&1 = 2 means stderror. &1 means output stdout
3. > /dev/null = It will write to null. Means nothing
4. awk = Programming Language to parse chars
5. sed = Programming language to substitute chars
6. $0=  It contains actual command. $1…. $9 represents attributes
7. $# ==> Total number of command line arguments
8. Typeset -u  VARIABLE => to convert into upper case
9. Typeset -l VARIABLE => to covert into lower case
10. crontab -e ==> refresh every minute

In my next post I will give more tips on UNIX scripts

Related[UNIX and Shell Scripting Programming – A to Z PPT](https://srinimf.com/2014/08/11/unix-and-shell-scripting-programming-a-to-z-ppt/)

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