Type (Unix)
![]() Examples of type command | |
Original author(s) | AT&T Corporation |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Various open-source and commercial developers |
Initial release | 1984; 40 years ago (1984) |
Operating system | Unix and Unix-like |
Platform | Cross-platform |
Type | Command |
In Unix and Unix-like operating systems, type
is a command that describes how its arguments would be interpreted if used as command names.
Function
Where applicable, type
will display the command name's path. Possible command types are:
- shell built-in
- function
- alias
- hashed command
- keyword
The command returns a non-zero exit status if command names cannot be found.
Examples
$ type test test is a shell builtin $ type cp cp is /bin/cp $ type unknown unknown not found $ type type type is a shell builtin
History
The type
command was a shell builtin for Bourne shell that was introduced in AT&T's System V Release 2 (SVR2) in 1984,[1] and continues to be included in many other POSIX-compatible shells such as Bash. However, type
is not part of the POSIX standard. With a POSIX shell, similar behavior is retrieved with
command -V name
In the KornShell, the command whence
provides similar functionality.[2]
The command is available as a separate package for Microsoft Windows as part of the UnxUtils collection of native Win32 ports of common GNU Unix-like utilities.[3]
See also
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Wikibooks-logo-en-noslogan.svg/40px-Wikibooks-logo-en-noslogan.svg.png)
- List of Unix commands
- which (command)
- hash (Unix)
References
- ^ "traditional Bourne shell family / history and development". www.in-ulm.de. Retrieved 2018-10-07.
- ^ Siever, Ellen (27 July 2005). Linux in a Nutshell. Nutshell handbooks. O'Reilly Media, Inc. (published 2005). p. 695. ISBN 9780596009304. Retrieved 2016-07-05.
whence [...] Korn shell only. Show whether each command is a Unix command, a built-in command, a defined shell function, or an alias.
- ^ Native Win32 ports of some GNU utilities
- v
- t
- e
- at
- bg
- crontab
- fg
- kill
- nice
- ps
- time
- alias
- cd
- echo
- test
- unset
- wait
- find
- grep
Categories
- Standard Unix programs
- Unix SUS2008 utilities
List
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