DEFINE(1)

DEFINE(1) — General Commands Manual 🎀

okay so first things first: this is a page from the General Commands Manual, and the command is DEFINE(1). We're so back, bestie.

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🌸 NAME 🌸

define — replace a literal with a value, then execute another program

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

define [-s] [-C | -c] [-N | -n] [-d delim] variable value prog..

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

define performs substitution (cf. execline-substitute(7)) on prog..., using variable as key and value as value. That's the whole main character move, no cap.

The options on define are there to control the substitution mechanism; refer to execline-transform(7). Like, that's literally what they're for.

Then define execs into the modified prog.... periodt. 💅

The flags are all substitution-mechanism knobs, and this page is very much “go read execline-transform(7)” about the details:

• -s — a substitution-mechanism flag; the deets live in execline-transform(7).
• -C — one half of the -C | -c pair, also controlling the substitution mechanism; see execline-transform(7).
• -c — the other half of -C | -c; same reference, same substitution-mechanism business.
• -N — one half of the -N | -n pair, controlling the substitution mechanism; execline-transform(7) has the lore.
• -n — the other half of -N | -n; again, execline-transform(7).
• -d delim — takes delim and controls the substitution mechanism; yes, execline-transform(7) again, bestie.

And the positional girlies: variable is the key, value is the value, and prog.. is the program that gets substituted on and then exec'd into. Iconic behavior. ✨

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

• elgetpositionals(1)
• elglob(1)
• importas(1)
• multidefine(1)
• multisubstitute(1)
• execline-substitute(7)
• execline-transform(7)

This man page is ported from the authoritative documentation at: https://skarnet.org/software/execline/define.html

👑 AUTHORS 👑

• Laurent Bercot
• Alexis <flexibeast@gmail.com> (man page port)

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Debian • February 14, 2021 • DEFINE(1) — that's the footer, bestie. Mwah 💋✨