[TUHS] Bourne shell and comments

[Andreas Kusalananda Kähäri]

On Tue, Apr 18, 2017 at 05:50:05PM -0700, Lyndon Nerenberg wrote:
> > Ron said:
> 
> > I still remember using : for a comment in the V6 shell.   Was also the label
> > for goto.
> 
> What's cool about ':' vs. '#' is:
> 
> -----8<-----8<-----8<-----8<-----8<-----8<-----
> 
> function cd {
>         command cd "$@" && setprompt
> }
> 
> function setprompt {
>         PS1=": "`id -un`@`hostname|sed 's;\..*$;;'`:'${PWD}; '; export PS1
> }
> 
> setprompt
> 
> -----8<-----8<-----8<-----8<-----8<-----8<-----
> 
> Stick that in your .env and you get a snarf-and-barf'able shell prompt that evals as a noop.  Blatantly ripped off from plan9port IIRC.  I run this across all manner of *BSD and Solaris and Linux and it just works.
> 
> --lyndon
> 
> 

I don't want to get into an argument in an off-topic sub-thread, but PS1
doesn't need to be exported, and since the shell evaluates the string,
you may as well use

LOGNAME=$(id -un)       # should already be set
HOSTNAME=$(hostname -s) # -s is fairly portable (not on Solaris tho)
PS1=': $LOGNAME@$HOSTNAME: $PWD; '

This saves having to execute id and hostname on every new prompt.

Also note that this has nothing to do with the : command.

Cheers