Shell variables

Syntax: name=value
(NO BLANKS allowed before and behind the = sign!!!)

• Shell variables are string variables (nevertheless the shell can interpret digit-strings numerically, see below)
• The null string consists of no characters
  name='' name= name=""
  all equate the variable name to the null string
• Letters, digits and the underscore are allowed for use in variable names
• The value of the variable name is given by $name
• set displays all variables known to the shell
• Any shell variable used as an argument for the export command is termed a global variable and is known to every child process
• Special shell variables