Last Updated: December 21, 2023
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400
· Lex S

Write your own bash commands with functions

Here are some functions you can add to your ".bash_profile" that replicate built-in commands.
function echo() { /bin/cat << EOC $@ EOC }

function whoami() { /usr/bin/id -u -n }

function pwd() { echo $PWD }

Writing your own bash functions can be very useful to automate local development tasks.

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Let me provide a brief explanation of the functions you've shared:

echo(): This function overrides the built-in echo command. It uses /bin/cat to display the provided arguments as standard input using a "here document" (<< EOC). This function essentially replicates the functionality of the standard echo command but in a more complex way.

whoami(): This function replicates the whoami command by using /usr/bin/id -u -n to display the current user's username.

pwd(): This function replicates the pwd (print working directory) command by echoing the value of the PWD environment variable.

These functions can be added to your .bash_profile file to customize your shell environment. However, be cautious when overriding built-in commands like echo, as it can lead to confusion and unexpected behavior when working with scripts or other tools that rely on these commands.

7 months ago ·