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Insert a comment on command line for reminder

Terminal - Insert a comment on command line for reminder
ls -alh #mycomment
2009-10-06 13:55:06
User: servermanaged
Functions: ls
5
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Insert a comment on command line for reminder

Comments can be used directly on the command line so I can save in the history a brief description of what command does.

Add to favourites | Report as malicious

Alternatives

There are 4 alternatives - vote for the best!

Terminal - Alternatives

Know a better way?

If you can do better, submit your command here.

What others think

It depends on your shell whether this works or not.

I get a syntax error.

There's a slightly better way that works in EVERY common shell (sh, csh, bash, tcsh, zsh, ksh):

ls -alh ;: mycomment
Comment by inof 189 weeks and 3 days ago

Why would this be a syntax error, inof?

Comment by kaedenn 189 weeks and 3 days ago
ls -alh #mycomment

zsh: bad pattern: #mycomment

Explanation: In zsh, the '#' character introduces a comment only in non-interactive shells (e.g. in scripts). In interactive shells, the '#' charatcer is used for extended pattern matching (globbing). Thus the above syntax error. Well, you *can* configure zsh to accept comments in interactive shells, too, but it's not the default.

The trick with using ':;' instead of '#' always works, with any shell.

Comment by inof 189 weeks and 2 days ago

This is also helpful for searching using the Ctrl-R button in bash (ie. you can use the comment to label your commands and then find them quickly). A related trick I use is to put a # in the front of a command when I decide I don't want to run it right away. It goes in the history and I can go back to it using Up or Ctrl-R.

Comment by dstahlke 189 weeks ago

Your point of view

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