This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Babs
LearnBashScriptingWithMe 🚀
Day 2 – Variables
"In case you’d like to revisit or catch up on what we covered on Day One, here’s the link:
https://dev.to/babsarena/learn-bash-scripting-with-me-day-1-1ekd
Variables in Bash scripting are used to store data, such as numbers, text, or file paths. They are a way to label and reference information that can be used later in a script.
We begin by creating a file using any text editor of our choice and naming it variables.sh.
Declaring the Shell
At the very top of the script, specify the shell you want to use:
#!/bin/bash
- Creating a Variable Let’s create a variable called NAME.
👉 Best Practice:
Variable names in Bash are usually written in capital (block) letters.
Using lowercase will still work, but uppercase is the recommended convention.
Important Rules When Declaring Variables
- No spaces before or after the = sign, otherwise the script will fail.
NAME = "Babs" ❌ Invalid
NAME="Babs" âś… Valid
- Strings must be inside quotes (" ").
Numbers don’t need quotes.
AGE=25 âś… Valid
CITY="Nairobi" âś… Valid
- Using Variables
To call a variable, use the dollar sign ($):
echo "My name is $NAME"
You can also use curly braces {} when combining variables with text:
SPORT="Foot"
echo "The most popular sport is ${SPORT}ball"
Output: The most popular sport is Football
Pictorial Examples of the script and the outcome
Script 1
Outcome:
Script 2
Outcome:
- Naming Rules
Variable names must start with an alphabet (A–Z or a–z).
They cannot start with a number.
01_NAME="Test" # ❌ Invalid
NAME_01="Test" # âś… Valid
SPORT_07="Test" # âś… Valid
If variables are not properly declared, the script will return an error.
🔎 Things to Keep in Mind
- If your script fails to run, ensure that the file is executable.
You can check this with:
ls -la
- If it’s not executable, make it executable with:
chmod +x variables.sh
- Always enclose string variables in quotation marks (" ").
Missing quotes may cause your script to fail.
✨ And that’s the foundation of working with variables in Bash scripting for day 2!
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Babs
Babs | Sciencx (2025-09-04T21:20:21+00:00) Learn Bash Scripting With Me 🚀 – Day 2. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/09/04/learn-bash-scripting-with-me-%f0%9f%9a%80-day-2/
Please log in to upload a file.
There are no updates yet.
Click the Upload button above to add an update.