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What a .sh file actually is

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Module 8

Scripts as Saved Workflows

A script is just a saved list of commands. No programming required—just save what you'd type anyway, and run it whenever you want. In this module, you'll learn to turn repeated effort into a single action. One command, and an entire workflow runs automatically.

Scripts Are Just Saved Commands

A script is a text file containing commands. When you run the script, it runs all the commands in order.

That's it. No magic. Just commands saved in a file instead of typed one at a time.

When to Use a Script

  • You run the same sequence of commands repeatedly
  • A task has multiple steps you don't want to remember
  • You want to run something with a single command

Example: A Cleanup Script

Instead of running these commands manually:

cd ~/Downloads rm -f *.dmg rm -f *.pkg cd ~

You save them in a script called cleanup and just type cleanup.

Key Takeaway

A script is just commands saved in a file. Instead of typing them every time, you run the file.