A really fun vim oneliner for auto documenting your option's parsing in your script. # print the text embeded in the case that parse options from command line. # the block is matched with the marker 'CommandParse' in comment, until 'esac' extract_cmdl_options() { # use vim for parsing: # 1st grep the case block and copy in register @p + unindent in the buffer of the file itself # 2nd filter lines which start with --opt or +opt and keep comment on hte following lines until an empty line # 3rd discard changes in the buffer and quit vim -n -es -c 'g/# CommandParse/+2,/^\s\+esac/-1 d p | % d | put p | % -c 'g/^\([-+]\+[^)]\+\))/,/^\(\s\+[^- \t#]\|^$\)/-1 p' \ -c 'q!' $0 } example code:http://snipplr.com/view/25059/display-embeded-comments-for-every-opt-usefull-for-auto-documenting-your-script/ Show Sample Output

Can easily be scripted in order to show permission "tree" from any folder. Can also be formated with column -t { pushd .> /dev/null; cd /; for d in `echo $OLDPWD | sed -e 's/\// /g'`; do cd $d; echo -n "$d "; ls -ld .; done; popd >/dev/null ; } | column -t from http://www.commandlinefu.com/commands/view/3731/using-column-to-format-a-directory-listing Show Sample Output

With this one liner you can easily output a standard help message using the following convention: Usage: is the start marker Stop at the last # Show Sample Output

By using vim, you can also filter content on stdout, using vim's extra power, like search pattern offset! No more awk of course, sorry. details : -e ex mode -s silent -c 'ex command' : global + start and end pattern + offset print (p) -cq : quit Show Sample Output

middlehost allows ssh access from where you are but not securehost. Use nice ssh piping to simulate scp through A => B => C setting up the shell function if left as an exercise for the reader. ;-) Agent forwarding should avoid password typing.