Guideline for aliases

Guideline for aliases and short functions in Linux-shell-base.

1. General
2. Format
3. Code style

General

An alias/short function ...

• is categorized.
• has a description.

Format

Alias and short function files are created in the following format:

alias name='alias start...                          ...alias end'                # name: description
alias name='alias start...                                         ...alias end' # name: description
alias name='alias start...                                                             ...alias end' # name: description

name() { function line 1 start...                       ...function line 1 end \
  function line 2 start...                             ...function line 2 end; } # name: description

name() { function line 1 start...                   ...function line 1 end \
  function line 2 start...                              ...function line 2 end \
  function line 3 start...    ...function line 3 end; }                          # name: description

name() { function line 1 start...                   ...function line 1 end \
  function line 2 start...                      ...function line 2 end \
  function line 3 start...                  ...function line 3 end; }            # name: description

name() { function start...                          ...function end; }           # name: description
name() { function start...                  ...function end; }                   # name: description
name() { function start...                                ...function end; }     # name: description

• A line is a maximum width of 100 characters for aliases and 80 character for short functions (discluding the description). If the solution is longer than 100 character, it should be a short fuction.
• If the solution is longer than 3 lines, it should be changed to a script.
• The comment specifier ("#") starts on column 82. If an alias line is wider than 80 characters, the comment specifier starts one space after the end of the alias.
• A line is continued on the next line only with the last (space separated) word that exceeds the 80 character limit.
• Short functions with more than one line are separated by a blank line.
• A description is all lowercase letters (except for names and acronymns that need to be capitalized or uppercase).

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For an example, see aliases-linux-output_only-multi-value.bash.

Code style

General

Variables

• A variable name uses acronyms whenever possible.

Bash

Variables

• A non-global variable inside a function is declared local.

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All other code style rules are up to the contributor.