Parameter Expansion in Bash

It has been so long since I have scripted (back then I used Korn shell), that when I started looking at some advanced Bash, and started seeing some very weird syntax, I had to go research it.

It turns out that these "weird things", are a feature in Bash called Parameter Expansion.

http://wiki.bash-hackers.org/syntax/pe

Bash is "Borne Again Shell".

The Borne shell was the original shell, and then Korn shell became the shell of choice, replacing Borne in many cases, in the 90s.

Now, Bash has apparently re-taken Korn shell with these kinds of funky features.

They don't make Unix any easier to look at when you see this stuff. Although, power and flexibility is the tradeoff. Apparently. More power, less keystrokes.