I have two shell scripts, a.sh and b.sh. How can I call b.sh from within the shell script a.sh?

 

To call a shell script (e.g., b.sh) from another shell script (e.g., a.sh), you can use the ./ notation followed by the script name, or you can use the source command or its shorthand .. Here are three methods to call b.sh from within a.sh:

Method 1: Using the ./ Notation:

In this method, you specify the relative or absolute path to the script you want to run:

bash

# a.sh

# Call b.sh using the ./ notation
./b.sh

Make sure that b.sh is in the same directory as a.sh, or provide the correct relative or absolute path to b.sh.

Method 2: Using the source Command:

You can use the source command (or its shorthand .) to execute b.sh within the same shell environment as a.sh. This is useful if b.sh defines functions or exports variables that you want to use in a.sh or want changes in b.sh to affect the current shell environment:

bash

# a.sh

# Call b.sh using the source command
source b.sh
# or
. b.sh

Using source or . ensures that b.sh is executed in the current shell, and any changes it makes to the environment are retained.

Method 3: Providing the Full Path:

If b.sh is located in a different directory and you know its full path, you can call it by specifying the full path:

bash

# a.sh

# Call b.sh using its full path
/full/path/to/b.sh

Replace /full/path/to/b.sh with the actual full path to b.sh.

Choose the method that best suits your needs based on the context and requirements of your scripts.