colon.1p (2489B)
- '\" et
- .TH COLON "1P" 2017 "IEEE/The Open Group" "POSIX Programmer's Manual"
- .\"
- .SH PROLOG
- This manual page is part of the POSIX Programmer's Manual.
- The Linux implementation of this interface may differ (consult
- the corresponding Linux manual page for details of Linux behavior),
- or the interface may not be implemented on Linux.
- .\"
- .SH NAME
- colon
- \(em null utility
- .SH SYNOPSIS
- .LP
- .nf
- : \fB[\fIargument\fR...\fB]\fR
- .fi
- .SH DESCRIPTION
- This utility shall only expand command
- .IR argument s.
- It is used when a command is needed, as in the
- .BR then
- condition of an
- .BR if
- command, but nothing is to be done by the command.
- .SH OPTIONS
- None.
- .SH OPERANDS
- See the DESCRIPTION.
- .SH STDIN
- Not used.
- .SH "INPUT FILES"
- None.
- .SH "ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES"
- None.
- .SH "ASYNCHRONOUS EVENTS"
- Default.
- .SH STDOUT
- Not used.
- .SH STDERR
- The standard error shall be used only for diagnostic messages.
- .SH "OUTPUT FILES"
- None.
- .SH "EXTENDED DESCRIPTION"
- None.
- .SH "EXIT STATUS"
- Zero.
- .SH "CONSEQUENCES OF ERRORS"
- Default.
- .LP
- .IR "The following sections are informative."
- .SH "APPLICATION USAGE"
- None.
- .SH EXAMPLES
- .LP
- .nf
- : ${X=abc}
- if false
- then :
- else echo $X
- fi
- \fBabc\fR
- .fi
- .P
- As with any of the special built-ins, the null utility can also have
- variable assignments and redirections associated with it, such as:
- .sp
- .RS 4
- .nf
- x=y : > z
- .fi
- .P
- .RE
- .P
- which sets variable
- .IR x
- to the value
- .IR y
- (so that it persists after the null utility completes) and creates or
- truncates file
- .BR z .
- .SH "RATIONALE"
- None.
- .SH "FUTURE DIRECTIONS"
- None.
- .SH "SEE ALSO"
- .IR "Section 2.14" ", " "Special Built-In Utilities"
- .\"
- .SH COPYRIGHT
- Portions of this text are reprinted and reproduced in electronic form
- from IEEE Std 1003.1-2017, Standard for Information Technology
- -- Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX), The Open Group Base
- Specifications Issue 7, 2018 Edition,
- Copyright (C) 2018 by the Institute of
- Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc and The Open Group.
- In the event of any discrepancy between this version and the original IEEE and
- The Open Group Standard, the original IEEE and The Open Group Standard
- is the referee document. The original Standard can be obtained online at
- http://www.opengroup.org/unix/online.html .
- .PP
- Any typographical or formatting errors that appear
- in this page are most likely
- to have been introduced during the conversion of the source files to
- man page format. To report such errors, see
- https://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/reporting_bugs.html .