11.14 When (Not) to Use Shell Scripts

The shell is so feature-rich that it’s difficult to condense its important elements into a single chapter. If you’re interested in what else the shell can do, have a look at some of the books on shell programming, such as Unix Shell p. 313 Programming, 3rd edition, by Stephen G. Kochan and Patrick Wood (SAMS Publishing, 2003), or the shell script discussion in The UNIX Programming Environment by Brian W. Kernighan and Rob Pike (Prentice Hall, 1984).

However, at a certain point (especially when you start to overuse the read built-in), you have to ask yourself if you’re still using the right tool for the job. Remember what shell scripts do best: manipulate simple files and commands. As stated earlier, if you find yourself writing something that looks convoluted, especially if it involves complicated string or arithmetic operations, don’t be afraid to look to a scripting language like Python, Perl, or awk.