General Commands Manual BUILTIN

[] (c) 2003 The FreeBSD Documentation Project.

[] The FreeBSD Documentation Project is a member of the FreeBSD Foundation.

NAME

builtin, !, %, ., :, @, \[, {, }, alias, alloc, bg, bind, bindkey, break, breaksw, builtins, case, cd, chdir, command, complete,
continue, default, dirs, do, done, echo, echotc, elif, else, end, endif, endsw, esac, eval, exec, exit, export, false, fc, fg,
filetest, fi, for, foreach, getopts, glob, goto, hash, hashstat, history, hup, if, jobid, jobs, kill, limit, local, log, login,
logout, ls-F, nice, nohup, notify, onintr, popd, printenv, printf, pushd, pwd, read, readonly, rehash, repeat, return, sched, set,
setenv, settc, setty, setvar, shift, source, stop, suspend, switch, telltc, test, then, time, times, trap, true, type, ulimit,
umask, unalias, uncomplete, unhash, unlimit, unset, unsetenv, until, wait, where, which, while – shell built-in commands

SYNOPSIS

See the built-in command description in the appropriate shell manual page.

DESCRIPTION

Shell builtin commands are commands that can be executed within the running shell's process. Note that, in the case of csh(1) builtin commands, the command is executed in a subshell if it occurs as any component of a pipeline except the last.

If a command specified to the shell contains a slash /, the shell will not execute a builtin command, even if the last component. of the specified command matches the name of a builtin command. Thus, while specifying “echo” causes a builtin command to be executed under shells that support the echo builtin command, specifying “/bin/echo” or “./echo” does not.

While some builtin commands may exist in more than one shell, their operation may be different under each shell which supports them. Below is a table which lists shell builtin commands, the standard shells that support them and whether they exist as standalone utilities.

Only builtin commands for the csh(1) and sh(1) shells are listed here. Consult a shell's manual page for details on the operation of its builtin commands. Beware that the sh(1) manual page, at least, calls some of these commands “built-in commands” and some of them “reserved words”. Users of other shells may need to consult an info(1) page or other sources of documentation.

Commands marked “No**” under External do exist externally, but are implemented as scripts using a builtin command of the same name.

command	external	csh	sh
!	No	No	Yes
%	No	Yes	No
.	No	No	Yes
:	No	Yes	Yes
@	No	Yes	Yes
[	Yes	No	Yes
{	No	No	Yes
}	No	No	Yes
alias	No**	Yes	Yes
alloc	No	Yes	No
bg	No**	Yes	Yes
bind	No	No	Yes
bindkey	No	Yes	No
break	No	Yes	Yes
breaksw	No	Yes	No
builtin	No	No	Yes
builtins	No	Yes	No
case	No	Yes	Yes
cd	No**	Yes	Yes
chdir	No	Yes	Yes
command	No**	No	Yes
complete	No	Yes	No
continue	No	Yes	Yes
default	No	Yes	No
dirs	No	Yes	No
do	No	No	Yes
done	No	No	Yes
echo	Yes	Yes	Yes
echotc	No	Yes	No
elif	No	No	Yes
else	No	Yes	Yes
end	No	Yes	No
endif	No	Yes	No
endsw	No	Yes	No
esac	No	No	Yes
eval	No	Yes	Yes
exec	No	Yes	Yes
exit	No	Yes	Yes
export	No	No	Yes
false	Yes	No	Yes
fc	No**	No	Yes
fg	No**	Yes	Yes
filetest	No	Yes	No
fi	No	No	Yes
for	No	No	Yes
foreach	No	Yes	No
getopts	No**	No	Yes
glob	No	Yes	No
goto	No	Yes	No
hash	No**	No	Yes
hashstat	No	Yes	No
history	No	Yes	No
hup	No	Yes	No
if	No	Yes	Yes
jobid	No	No	Yes
jobs	No**	Yes	Yes
kill	Yes	Yes	Yes
limit	No	Yes	No
local	No	No	Yes
log	No	Yes	No
login	Yes	Yes	No
logout	No	Yes	No
ls-F	No	Yes	No
popd	No	Yes	No
printenv	Yes	Yes	No
printf	Yes	No	Yes
pushd	No	Yes	No
pwd	Yes	No	Yes
read	No**	No	Yes
readonly	No	No	Yes
rehash	No	Yes	No
repeat	No	Yes	No
return	No	No	Yes
sched	No	Yes	No
set	No	Yes	Yes
setenv	No	Yes	No
settc	No	Yes	No
setty	No	Yes	No
setvar	No	No	Yes
shift	No	Yes	Yes
source	No	Yes	No
stop	No	Yes	No
suspend	No	Yes	No
switch	No	Yes	No
telltc	No	Yes	No
test	Yes	No	Yes
then	No	No	Yes
time	Yes	Yes	No
times	No	No	Yes
trap	No	No	Yes
true	Yes	No	Yes
type	No**	No	Yes
ulimit	No**	No	Yes
umask	No**	Yes	Yes
unalias	No**	Yes	Yes
uncomplete	No	Yes	No
unhash	No	Yes	No
unlimit	No	Yes	No
unset	No	Yes	Yes
unsetenv	No	Yes	No
until	No	No	Yes
wait	No**	Yes	Yes
where	No	Yes	No
which	Yes	Yes	No
while	No	Yes	Yes

SEE ALSO

csh(1), dash(1), echo(1), false(1), info(1), kill(1), login(1), nice(1), nohup(1), printenv(1), printf(1), pwd(1), sh(1), test(1), time(1), true(1), which(1), zsh(1)

HISTORY

The builtin manual page first appeared in FreeBSD 3.4.

AUTHORS

This manual page was written by Sheldon Hearn.

 macOS 13.3 December 21, 2010 m