Mastering Linux Shell Scripting - Second Edition

Variable scope

Once you have declared your variable, it will be available for use in your entire bash script without any problems.

Let's assume this scenario: you have divided your code into two files and you will execute one of them from inside the other, like this:

# The first script 
#!/bin/bash 
name="Mokhtar" 
./script2.sh # This will run the second script 

The second script looks like this:

# The script2.sh script 
#!/bin/bash 
echo $name 

Suppose that you want to use the name variable in the second script. If you try to print it, nothing will show up; this is because a variable's scope is only limited to the process that creates it.

To use the name variable, you can export it using the export command.

So, our code will be like this:

# The ...