Lesson plan
Dot (command)
In a Unix shell, the full stop called the dot command (.) is a command that evaluates commands in a computer file in the current execution context. In the C shell, a similar functionality is provided as the source command, and this name is seen in "extended" POSIX shells as well. The dot command is not to be confused with a dot file, which is a dot-prefixed hidden file or hidden directory. Nor is it to be confused with the ./scriptfile notation for running commands, which is simply a relative path pointing to the current directory (notated in Unix as a '.' character, and typically outside of the Path variable).
Article summary
In a Unix shell, the full stop called the dot command (.) is a command that evaluates commands in a computer file in the current execution context. In the C shell, a similar functionality is provided as the source command, and this name is seen in "extended" POSIX shells as well. The dot command is not to be confused with a dot file, which is a dot-prefixed hidden file or hidden directory. Nor is it to be confused with the ./scriptfile notation for running commands, which is simply a relative path pointing to the current directory (notated in Unix as a '.' character, and typically outside of the Path variable).
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.