From 12dfb7a5544a1f36110db772f8e20203e45cdd43 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Jilles Tjoelker Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2010 22:48:56 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] sh(1): Explain why it is a bad idea to use aliases in scripts. --- bin/sh/sh.1 | 7 ++++--- 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-) diff --git a/bin/sh/sh.1 b/bin/sh/sh.1 index 8f92bbba33b6..275c5e23ca84 100644 --- a/bin/sh/sh.1 +++ b/bin/sh/sh.1 @@ -456,9 +456,10 @@ would become Aliases provide a convenient way for naive users to create shorthands for commands without having to learn how to create functions with arguments. -They can also be -used to create lexically obscure code. -This use is discouraged. +Using aliases in scripts is discouraged +because the command that defines them must be executed +before the code that uses them is parsed. +This is fragile and not portable. .Pp An alias name may be escaped in a command line, so that it is not replaced by its alias value, by using quoting characters within or