Not running tests with `bash` specifically about bash HOT 10 CLOSED

Hmm, maybe a refactoring-type exercise, where they're given a script loaded with bashisms and they need to make it POSIXy

from bash.

I feel like that's out of place on a bash track. This track is about the bash shell. We should be helping students learn bash, including all it's features. Having an exercise where students are then supposed to not use all the features and make their script work for a very different environment feels ... jarring?

If a student wants to write POSIX sh, they can simply set POSIXLY_CORRECT and do so. I don't think other students should be asked to do so as part of solving exercises on the bash track.

from bash.

I didn't mean to assign, I meant to tag: @IsaacG @kotp @guygastineau

from bash.

How would we ensure that the tests are passable given the different potential different sh'bang? Would there be a list of "target" shells?

from bash.

good point.

from bash.

I'm in favor of keeping this a bash track.

• Some of these exercises are painful using POSIX sh.
• If this is generic "shell of your choice", it'd be weird to have some students trying to use zsh when mentors might not be familiar. Or ksh and csh. Those are all different languages and not bash.

If a student wants to write POSIX sh and the mentor is comfortable with sh, then that's cool. But I don't think we should be going out of our way to make that the easy route.

from bash.

And the difference between invoking via bash or sh, using source and making executables is very much something that can be taught about bash shells.

from bash.

I appreciate the feedback. Closing this issue.

from bash.

There could be an exercise specifically about "portable code" and with only one or two exercises, the idea of making it executable, and writing it so that it can be loaded / sourced as a non-clobbering function. Or notes added about portability, and what approaches are POSIX and what may cause problems with different platforms and tooling.

from bash.

I am definitely one for "go where the student wants to go" as it is their learning journey. And this is one way to do that. If the student asks "But what about portability?" then they can go down that path.

from bash.