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Creative Writing For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Creative writing for dummies.

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Do you want to be the next best-selling author and dream up a new iconic character? Follow this handy Cheat Sheet, which breaks down the creative writing process into manageable tasks and helps you to develop your writing style and become a confident and accomplished writer.

Gather your creative writing tools

Always be prepared! Here’s a checklist of useful writing aids to have with you as you begin to write – just don’t forget the tea and coffee!

  • A desk or other writing space and a comfortable chair
  • A good notebook
  • Your favorite pen
  • A dictionary and thesaurus
  • A computer, laptop, or tablet
  • A printer (or access to one)
  • A suitable notes app on your cellphone
  • Software that provides grammar and spellcheck capabilities

How to generate creative writing ideas

Writer’s block affects all writers from time to time. If you feel a bit stuck for inspiration, try these techniques to get your creative juices flowing:

  • Find an image (postcard, photograph, painting) depicting two or more people and write a story about them. Who are these characters? What might they be thinking?
  • Look at any object and write about it – where does it come from, who does it belong to, what memories does it trigger, who might want it and why?
  • Read local news for unusual and interesting stories and develop them as fiction. Take the basic idea but set the story in a different time and place with your own characters.
  • Listen to conversations on the bus, in a coffee shop, or at the supermarket. Jot down a particular exchange and carry it on, seeing where the characters lead you.
  • Pick up a book you really like and open it at a random page. Pick a sentence you like and write it down, and then carry on writing your own story from here, using your own characters and setting.
  • Pick an emotion and create a story around it complete with characters who are feeling that emotion. Pick another emotion and carry on writing. Make the characters move from the first emotion to the second – from hope to fear, from hatred to love.

Writing a solid first draft

Writing a first draft of your creative project – whether a novel, short story, poem, or play – can be a bit daunting. Follow these handy hints to help you organize your thoughts and manage your time:

  • Don’t worry about a great opening line yet. Simply start writing wherever you like. After you know where your story is going, you can go back and rewrite the beginning.
  • Keep the flow going in the early stages — keep writing without stopping, going back, re-reading, or changing what you’ve written. Don’t block yourself by starting to edit before you’ve got a good chunk written.
  • Remember to show not tell — think about how to dramatize what you’re writing about and create visual images.
  • If you become stuck on a particular passage, start somewhere else or write a different scene. You’ll soon get going again!

Rewriting and editing your creative writing project

Rewriting and editing helps to tighten up your work. But it can be difficult — what to chop and when to stop may not be clear, and you may change your mind more than once during the process.

Ask yourself whether you need to take out:

Unnecessary information and explanation

Passages of dialogue that go on too long

Clunky descriptions that give too much detail

Clumsy images that don’t really work

Too many adjectives and adverbs

You may need to add or expand:

Something you know but have forgotten to tell the reader; perhaps the age of the main character

More specific descriptive information that shows instead of tells; instead of describing a man as “old,” describe his white hair, slow gait and mottled hands

Dialogue of what the characters actually say, rather than summaries

Material to add interest or create suspense

A better opening or closing line

You may need to move:

Dramatic sections to make a stronger opening

Early information to where the reader really needs to know it

Essential information nearer the beginning of the book

Descriptive passages to add tension and suspense to incidents

Words, phrases and sentences to make a better rhythm

In your final edit:

Check for grammar, punctuation and spelling mistakes

Ensure you have no continuity errors

Pay particular attention to the first and last lines of any section or scene

Smooth out any awkward words and phrases

Clarify anything that isn’t clear

Ways to develop and improve your creative writing

Here are some top tips for developing your creative writing. No writing is ever a finished product — there are always ways to improve and refine your style. Here are several things you can do:

  • Take a course on creative writing techniques and get constructive feedback on your work from a tutor and other students.
  • Join a writers’ circle to get support, encouragement, and feedback from other writers.
  • Find a good library and use it.
  • Read and re-read good writing — books that have been successful or stood the test of time.
  • Attend book festivals, readings, and bookshop events to see what published authors say, meet other writers, and contact book industry professionals.

About This Article

This article is from the book:.

  • Creative Writing For Dummies ,

About the book author:

Maggie Hamand is a novelist, non-fiction author and journalist. In 1998, Maggie founded the hugely successful Complete Creative Writing Course at the Groucho Club in London, and has been teaching there since: her students have included many published authors. She is the author of two novels, The Resurrection of the Body and The Rocket Man .

This article can be found in the category:

  • Rewriting and Editing Your Creative Writing Project
  • Before You Begin Your Creative Writing
  • Writing Your First Draft
  • How to Generate Creative Writing Ideas
  • Ways to Develop and Improve Your Creative Writing
  • View All Articles From Book

Novlr is now writer-owned! Join us and shape the future of creative writing.

Pamela Koehne-Drube

1 December 2023

A Foolproof Character Cheat Sheet (With Downloadable Template)

creative writing cheat sheet pdf

Writers know that characters are one of the most important things for a story to be successful. But without fully developed, believable characters, the entire story will feel flat and lifeless. A character cheat sheet can help in the early stages of character development and ensure you write well-rounded characters every time.

Why you need a character profile

A character profile is a detailed overview of your character and their life. It is a thorough description of your character, including their history, traits, appearance, and any particulars of their personality, relationships, and behaviours.

The reason why this is so important is that having more information will generate more ideas for plot points, scenes, and interactions between characters.

Most of what you put into a character profile will never make it into your finished manuscript, but knowing your characters inside out will inform the way you write. Knowing how someone will react in a certain situation ahead of time will help you get the most out of your writing time and make it so much easier to create a believable and immersive story world .

Determine the type of character you’re creating

Your story will have a variety of different characters, each with their own distinct personality and role. But before you create your characters, it’s important to first determine the type of character you’re writing. While every story is different and unique, there are a few common roles your characters will play:

  • Protagonist: your main character, and the primary driver of narrative events.
  • Antagonist: an opposing force who stands in the way of your protagonist achieving success.
  • Anti-hero: someone who possesses qualities that make them morally ambiguous or questionable; they may do things society frowns upon but still help move the plot forward.
  • Confidante: someone who provides counsel and guidance during times of trouble; they are often privy to information that is unknown by others within the story.
  • Foil: someone who serves to highlight the qualities of your protagonist by possessing opposite or contrasting traits. This character serves to aid or subvert the protagonist’s aims.
  • Love Interest: a character who serves as the protagonist’s goal or the reward they receive at the end of the story.

None of these types needs to be binary, and you can play with different roles for your characters. So long as you clearly define what role or combination you’d like them to play going in, you’ll be able to build something truly unique.

You might also like to consider how character archetypes fit into this framework and experiment with how those archetypes might affect the development of the role you want them to play.

character profile

Cover the basics

Covering the basics may seem like an obvious thing to do—after all, you’re writing a story, so you want people to visualise your characters in their mind’s eye—but this step is often overlooked. The result is inconsistent character descriptions or a complete lack of them in the narrative.

You can start by listing the basic information about your character: name, age, place of birth, where they live, their nationality/ethnicity/race/religion/etc., all the way down to education level (if applicable), occupation(s), and marital status.

Go into as much detail about their appearance as possible; i.e., height and build type, eye colour(s), hair colour(s), its length/style/texture, face shape, mode of dress including accessories, whether their social standing affects the way they present themselves publicly, hidden or visible disabilities or chronic illnesses, scars, or other notable physical characteristics like tattoos and birthmarks.

Give them personalities

Now it’s time to discover who your character truly is.

This is where you’ll describe how they express themselves, their likes, and dislikes. Really try to get a handle on the kind of person they are.

I discovered a handy matrix from writer Simon K Jones that I now use as a basis for developing each of my character’s personalities.

creative writing cheat sheet pdf

For each row, choose one of two options. There’s room for a range of responses within those choices.

You can make some interesting choices that seemingly contradict each other. For instance, someone could be both honourable and selfish. Or someone could be altruistic and apathetic at the same time.

This helps you get to know a character quickly and easily so that you and your readers can relate to them, while simultaneously giving them some interesting depth.

Once you have this fleshed out, you can also look at their relationships with others like family, co-workers, and friends (if any). A character’s personality will change how readers react to them, so it’s important you make sure this fits into your story world.

Determine their goal or motivation

This section may be the shortest, but it’s likely to be one of the most difficult. Your character has several goals and motivations, but one will stand above all others in terms of importance. You want to make sure that this is the main motivation for your protagonist—and if it isn’t, think about how you can make it so!

Once you know what that goal is, write down why they want it so badly. What drives them? What are their dreams and aspirations? But make sure you flesh out all their other goals too. This will help you discover conflicts, and also see how varying goals might feed into each other and help with world-building , even if they never end up in the finished manuscript.

Typewriter with goals written on sheet of paper - Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Delve into their psyche

The first step in creating a character is to get to know them. A character’s history will have shaped who they are as a person, so it’s important to explore their past, childhood, and the events that made them who they are.

Outline their opinions, and how they developed. How do they emotionally respond to events? What drives their decision-making? What does true happiness look like to them? Why do they act the way they do? Knowing their psychology and the inner workings of who they are, creates a consistency that will bleed into your writing as you tackle your first draft.

How to use your character cheat sheet

All of the questions I’ve listed in the steps above will get you off to a good start. But, each section can be developed and fleshed out even more. The deeper you dig into your character, the better.

This downloadable character cheat sheet gives a list of questions for you to answer about your character. Fill out as many as you can. Import it directly into the notes section of your Novlr project to edit and develop for easy reference as you write.

Also included in the cheat sheet is The Proust Questionnaire — a set of questions answered by the French writer Marcel Proust as part of a parlour game of his day called a “confession album.”

These questions are still used by interviewers to this day and can be a great way to really get to know your characters. After you’ve built out your character profile, answer these questions from the point of view of that character as a final step to make sure you’ve really connected with them.

There you have it: a foolproof character cheat sheet that will make your characters come to life. Make sure you download the template for easy use, then fill it in to get started. You’ll be writing characters with depth, purpose, and personality in no time!

Like puzzles? Check out this daily anagram game: Raganam !

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The Ultimate Grammar Cheat Sheet for Writers (Infographic)

Writers Write is a comprehensive resource for writers. In this infographic, we share the ultimate grammar cheat sheet for writers .

“Do you find yourself living in fear of the grammar sticklers? Find yourself reading and re-reading your work to make sure they’re error-free…and then still find you’ve made a mistake?

Grammar doesn’t come easily to everyone. It can be tricky even for the most confident of writers. Those people who seem like they’re grammar naturals are not in possession of some magical power that others don’t have. They’ve just learned a few simple tricks that help them write fluently and accurately.

Want to join them? The infographic below by The Expert Editor can be your go-to guide whenever you get stuck in a grammar rut. English isn’t always the simplest or most logical of languages, but it can be mastered when you know how.

Learn to avoid common mistakes

English grammar’s quirks and unusual rules lead to confusion. That confusion can be banished by spending a little time learning basic grammar rules that will help you express yourself clearly and concisely.

Broaden your vocabulary

Once you’ve become more confident using English grammar, improve further by learning new and varied ways to describe people, places, things and feelings. English is a vibrant, ever-changing language: use it to the maximum.

Brush up your proofreading skills

Even the best writers sometimes make mistakes. Good writers know that proofreading is an essential part of the writing process, not an optional extra.”

[Top Tip: If you need practical help with your grammar, buy The Complete Grammar Workbook .]

The Ultimate Grammar Cheat Sheet for Writers

Grammar Cheat Sheet for Writers

Introduction by Sierra Delarosa

Source: The Expert Editor

If you are looking for more helpful infographics, you might like these:

  • 18 Verbs Even Native Speakers Confuse
  • 19 Actionable Writing Tips
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  • 30 Filler Words To Cut Out Of Your Writing
  • Business Writing Tips , Grammar , Infographic

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Free Download – Descriptive Words Cheat Sheet | PDF Download

Free Download – Descriptive Words Cheat Sheet | PDF Download

Use Descriptive Words to Bring Your Story to Life

Use descriptive words to bring your story to life.

“One of the Best Resources I’ve come across in a Long time..”

As writers, we understand how much descriptive words can add to your work. Whether you are writing a short story or a novel, descriptive writing will give your words life.

Sometimes it is hard to get inspiration for descriptions. That’s why we created our list of descriptive words.

Download Our Descriptive Word Cheat Sheet

Here a little preview…..

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Yes, I Want to Be More Descriptive

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Awesome Resources for Creative Writing: Body Cheat Sheets

December 29, 2015 By Andy Peloquin

Writer's Bounty

Writer's Bounty

Providing Support for Writers and Teachers of Writing

Grading Creative Writing

Cheat Sheet for Grading Creative Writing

A cheat sheet for grading creative writing can be a useful tool for teachers and instructors who are looking for a quick and easy way to assess the quality of their students’ writing. By providing a set of guidelines and criteria to follow, a cheat sheet can help instructors quickly and consistently evaluate the creativity, organization, and overall effectiveness of a piece of writing. This then allows them to provide constructive feedback and support to their students as they work to improve their skills.

Why is Grading Creative Writing so Difficult?

Grading creative writing can be challenging for instructors. It’s often very personal and subjective, which makes it hard to assess using traditional grading systems. Plus, creative writing can be complex. It can involve a lot of emotions, which can be difficult to capture in writing. Additionally, the field is constantly changing, making it hard for instructors to stay on top of new styles and techniques. Overall, grading creative writing requires a careful and sensitive approach.

Cheat Sheet for Grading

Here are six quick and easy tips to keep in mind when grading your students’ creative writing.

Grading Creative Writing - Organization

Tip 1: Focus on the Overall Structure and Organization

  • Does it have a clear beginning, middle, and end?
  • Does the plot flow smoothly from one event to the next?
  • Does it pull you along, or do you lose track of what’s happening?

Tip 2: Pay Attention to the Characters.

  • Are they well-developed and believable?
  • Do they have distinct personalities and motivations?
  • Does the protagonist have any flaws or are they perfect?
  • Does the antagonist have any redeeming qualities?

Grading Creative Writing - Descriptions

Tip 3: Look for Strong Descriptions and Sensory Details.

  • Does the writer use vivid language to bring the scene to life?
  • Does the writer use more senses in descriptions than just sight?
  • Do the setting descriptions help set up a mood for the writing?

Tip 4: Consider the Use of Dialogue.

  • Does it sound natural and add to the story?
  • Does it give insight into the personality traits of the characters?
  • Is it written correctly, following punctuation and paragraphing norms?

Grading Creative Writing - voice

Tip 5: Evaluate the Writer’s Style and Voice.

  • Does the writing have a unique and engaging tone?
  • Could you tell which student wrote the piece just by reading it?

Tip 6: Look for Creativity and Originality

  • Does the writer have fresh ideas?
  • Is there anything unique about this writing from that of other students?

Final Thoughts and Freebie

Overall, the key is to provide constructive feedback that will help the writer improve and grow. It’s important to remember that creative writing is a form of self-expression, and everyone has their own unique voice and style. As a grader, your job is to help the writer hone their craft and develop their skills.

If you have any advice for grading creative writing, please put it in the comments below. Also, here is a free checklist to help you have a grade for each student’s creative work. It’s available in both an editable PowerPoint and a quick print PDF.

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ChatGPT

7 Best ChatGPT Cheat Sheets in 2024 (Free Downloads)

By  Alex  • Updated Oct 29, 2023

ChatGPT has totally blown up in the tech community, totally changing the game on how we interact with technology and making us way more productive in all sorts of industries.

Even if you're a total noob or a seasoned pro, figuring out all the cool things it can do might be a bit overwhelming, but don't sweat it!

This awesome listicle will hook you up with the best ChatGPT cheat sheets of the year, so you can tap into the full power of this mind-blowing tool.

Get ready to dive in and discover the ultimate guides that every ChatGPT fan absolutely needs in their life.

Best ChatGPT Cheat Sheets

  • ChatGPT Prompting Cheat Sheet (by Zain Kahn)
  • ChatGPT Cheat Sheet v3 (by Max Rascher)
  • ChatGPT: Zero to Power User Cheat Sheet (by Pete Huang)
  • ChatGPT: From Zero to Hero Cheat Sheet (by AI Fire)
  • ChatGPT Mastery Cheat Sheet (by Zain Kahn)
  • ChatGPT for Designers (by Tibi David)
  • The ChatGPT Cheat Sheet (by AI Fire)

1. ChatGPT Prompting Cheat Sheet (by Zain Kahn)

image

This Cheat Sheet is awesome at connecting different user roles—from idea generators to critics—and ChatGPT's awesome capabilities.

With its simple guidelines on creating chain prompts and specific prompts designed for sectors like marketing, sales, and research, it offers a clear path to unlock the model's full potential.

Plus, it includes different tones and formats, so you can customize ChatGPT's output to fit your needs perfectly.

2. ChatGPT Cheat Sheet v3 (by Max Rascher)

image

Max Rascher's ChatGPT Cheat Sheet is a super helpful guide for all kinds of users. It's got everything you need, from tips on writing like a pro to cool tricks for getting the most out of ChatGPT.

One of the best parts is the section on "Making ChatGPT Write Like You" - it's a game-changer! Plus, there's a curated list of awesome ChatGPT plugins that you won't want to miss.

This cheat sheet also has some great tips specifically for using ChatGPT on LinkedIn and even a section on how to avoid plagiarism. It's a really awesome guide that covers all the cool things you can do with ChatGPT in one place.

You're gonna love it!

3. ChatGPT: Zero to Power User Cheat Sheet (by Pete Huang)

image

Pete Huang's "ChatGPT: Zero to Power User" Cheat Sheet is like a handy guide for users going from beginners to advanced ChatGPT users.

It covers important stuff like basic terms, how to structure prompts using different frameworks like RTF and RASCEF, and the details of setting tones and formats. It also has cool plugins that make it even better, and the example prompts show you how to use it in different situations.

The best part is the extra tips that give you encouragement and advice on getting the best results.

This awesome cheat sheet can really take your ChatGPT experience to the next level!

4. ChatGPT: From Zero to Hero Cheat Sheet (by AI Fire)

image

The "ChatGPT: From Zero to Hero Cheat Sheet" by AIFire.co is a helpful guide for navigating ChatGPT.

It explains important terms, guides you on structuring prompts with RTF and PEACH, and provides different tones and formats for better queries.

It offers commands to customize ChatGPT's responses and showcases extensions, plugins, and examples of other chatbots.

The cheat sheet includes real-life use cases and expert tips to help you become a ChatGPT power user.

It's a must-have for mastering ChatGPT!

5. ChatGPT Mastery Cheat Sheet (by Zain Kahn)

image

"ChatGPT Mastery Cheat Sheet: Beginner to Pro," created by Zain Kahn, is like a cool guide that helps users navigate through the fancy world of ChatGPT.

It explains important terms like "Prompts" and "Generative AI" in an easy-to-understand way, so users can confidently join the conversation.

But that's not all! It also gives practical examples and prompts for different things like making your text better or summarizing topics.

You can choose from different tones and formats to make your interactions just right. And if that's not enough, there are ten awesome plugins and even other chatbots to explore.

This cheat sheet is not just a guide, it's a key to becoming a ChatGPT pro, whether you're a beginner or an expert.

6. ChatGPT for Designers (by Tibi David)

image

"ChatGPT for Designers: Cheat Sheet" is a super helpful guide for designers getting into AI.

It starts with simple terms like "Model" and "Tokens" and goes into different AI vibes from "Professional" to "Inspirational". The guide rocks with its prompt structures and commands, making AI interaction accurate and effortless.

The sheet wraps up with cool plugins for GPT-4 and resource links for a totally immersive AI-design experience.

In a nutshell, it's a handy toolkit for designers to master AI like a boss.

7. The ChatGPT Cheat Sheet (by AI Fire)

image

"The ChatGPT Cheat Sheet by AIFire.co " is a super helpful cheat sheet for all sorts of professionals using ChatGPT. It guides you on how you can take on different roles, like being an "Analyst" or an "Interviewer", and complete tasks like creating "Headlines" or "Email Sequences".

The best part? It explains the C.R.E.A.T.E formula that breaks down prompt engineering, so you can make the most of your interaction with AI.

It's a complete guide for getting the most out of ChatGPT and unlocking its full potential!

What Makes a Great ChatGPT Cheat Sheet?

ChatGPT cheat sheets aren’t just about listing commands or keywords. Like any cheat sheets, their efficiency is gauged by how seamlessly they bridge the gap between a user's needs and the AI's capabilities. Here's what sets apart a great ChatGPT cheat sheet from the rest:

  • Comprehensive : Covers both basic and advanced commands.
  • Clear : Avoids jargon, explaining concepts simply.
  • Well-organized : Uses logical groupings and clear headings.
  • Example-rich : Offers real-world applications for commands.
  • Accessible : Easily referenced, whether digitally or in print.
  • Up-to-date : Incorporates the latest ChatGPT changes and updates.
  • Interactive : Provides enriching, clickable elements for enhanced learning.

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Home > Essential Linux Cheat Sheets > Bash Scripting Cheat Sheet [Free PDF Download]

Bash Scripting Cheat Sheet [Free PDF Download]

Md Zahidul Islam Laku

Bash (Bourne Again SHell) is a powerful and widely used language. It provides plenty of features and tools to automate tasks, manage files, process data and much more. However, remembering all the syntax and commands can be challenging. This Bash scripting cheat sheet serves as a quick reference of essential concepts, syntax and basic structure of the language. It covers a range of topics, including variables, conditionals, loops, functions and string operations of Bash scripting. Each section provides clear explanations and practical examples to help you understand the concepts and structure of the language.

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Syntax of Bash Script

The syntax of a programming language defines the set of rules and conventions that govern how programs are written. Every programming language has its own syntax and structure. Bash scripting syntax is straightforward and easy to grasp. For writing a correct and functional script one must have a clear understanding of the Statement , Variables , Data types , Control Structure , etc.

Arguments, Executions

If you are a complete beginner and never write any script on Bash this is where you can start from. This section covers the basic syntax of Bash scripting including Shebang, exit way in Bash scripting, and arguments.

Syntax Description
#! /bin/bash Shebang at the beginning of a script specifies the interpreter
#! /usr/bin/env bash Alternative shebang -using environment variable
$# Stores the number of argument passes to the Bash script
$1 , $2, $3 Variables that store the values passed as arguments to the Bash script
exit Exit from the Bash script
CTRL + C Keyboard shortcut to stop Bash
$ (command_name) Execute a command inside a subshell
sleep Pause for a specified number of seconds, minutes, hours or days

Comments are important for writing clean, concise and easily understandable code. It offers a coder to write complex code in a human-understandable form. In Bash script, the coder can explain the intent or purpose of the code in a single or multi-line comment using the following easy syntax.

Syntax Description
# Single line comment. The text comes after it will not be executed
: <<‘ ‘ Multiple line comment

Single and multiple lines of comments in Bash scripting:

Variables are an essential part of any programming language. Bash script variables allow to store , manipulate and retrieve data dynamically. This section is going to investigate the structure of variables, accessing the value of the variable in Bash script and other basics related to variables.

Syntax Description
var_name=val Assign a value to the specified variable
$ var_name Access the value of the specified variable
“$var_name” Variables with special bash script character at the beginning must be quoted with double quotes or single quotes
var_name=$(command) Assign the output of a command to the specified variable
readonly var_name=val Prevent the value of a specified variable to be modified
$HOME, $PATH, $USER etc. Few predefined environment variables
$0 Predefined variable that stores the name of the script
$# Predefined variable that stores the number of command line arguments
#? Predefined variable that stores the exit status of the last executed command
$$ Predefined variable that stores the process ID of the current script
$! Predefined variable that stores the process ID of the last background command
unset var_name Delete a variable with specified name

Different types of variables and variable properties:

Command Execution

Command execution is a fundamental concept that allows Bash programmer to run commands and programs within a script. Here is a quick demonstration of Bash script command syntax , command substitution, directing standard input and standard output of commands and other commands execution techniques.

Syntax Description
command_name Directly execute the command with specified name
`variable_name=command` Older version of substituting the output of the command to a specified variable
command > file_name Redirect the output of a command to a specified file
command >> file_name Redirect the output of a command to a specified file and append it with the existing content
command1 | command2 Use the standard output of as the standard input of

Command execution, command substitution and redirecting output in Bash:

Input/Output

Bash scripts can prompt users for input during runtime. Moreover, it can read input data from files and can redirect the output to a file. This allows the user to process data from external sources or generate output files containing the results of the script’s execution.

Syntax Description
read -p Prompt the user for information to enter
command < input_file Redirect input from a file to a command
command 2> error_file Redirect standard error to a specified file
command &> file_name Redirect standard output and standard error to a specified file

Examples of taking input and prompting output in Bash code:

Bash script offers few data types to handle a different kind of information within scripts. The data types of Bash language are mainly String , Numeric and Array .

Syntax Description
x=5 Integers are treated as
is_valid=0 Boolean value represents
is_valid=1 Boolean value represents
declare -a var=value Declare an indexed array
declare -A var Declare an associated array
declare -i var=value Declare an integer variable
declare -r var=value Declare a read-only variable
declare -x var=value Declare an exported variable
var_name=”” Absence of value or an uninitialized variable
array=(“element1” “element2” “element3″…) A collection of elements accessed using numerical indices
declare -A array1

array1[“element1″]=”value1”

array2[“element2″]=”value2”

 A collection of elements accessed using string indices
var=”Hellow World” Sequence of characters enclosed in single or double quotes is treated as

Various data types in Bash programming language:

Conditional Statements

Conditional statement in Bash scripting allows us to control the flow of the program based on certain condition. There are three basic types of conditional statements in Bash scripting. These are if , elif and case statements. These statements evaluate conditions and execute different sets of code or commands depending on whether the conditions are true or false.

Syntax Description
if [ condition ]; then
#code
fi
Test a condition and execute the it is true
if [ condition ]; then
#code
fi
else
#code
fi
Execute the clause if the condition is true, otherwise execute the clause
if [ condition1 ]; then
#code
elif [ condition2 ]; then
#code
else
#code
fi
Execute the clause if the condition is true or execute the clause if  the condition is true, otherwise execute the clause
case variable in
pattern1)
#code
;;
pattern2)
#code
;;
pattern3)
#code
;;
*)
;;
esac
Execute code following each pattern if the variable matches the pattern otherwise, execute * if none of the patterns match
test condition Returns 0 or 1 indicating whether the condition is true or false

Loops are an essential feature of any programming language. They provide a way to automate repetitive tasks, iterate over data structures and perform complex operations. Bash script offers several types of loops such as for , while , until etc. Moreover, one can use any loop within another loop to create a nested loop structure for performing more complex tasks with few lines of code.

Syntax Description
for variable in list; do
# Code
done
Iterate over the list and execute code for each element of the list
while condition; do
# Code
done
Execute code repeatedly as long as the condition is true
until condition; do
# Code
done
Execute code repeatedly until the condition becomes true
select variable in list; do
# Code
done
Execute code based on the choice that the variable takes from the list
continue Skip the current iteration of a loop and continue with the next iteration
break Terminate a loop based on certain condition

Examples of control structures available in Bash programming language:

Functions offer several advantages in Bash scripting. They promote code reusability. One can define a function once and use it multiple times. This enhances productivity , code readability and maintainability , as functions help break down complex tasks into smaller, modular units.

Syntax Description
function_name() {
# code
}
Declare a function with the specified function name
function_name Call a function with the specified function name
local var_name=value Declare a local variable inside a function
return Exit a function and return a value of the calling function

Demonstration of defining a function and calling the function in Bash script.

Arithmetic Operations

Bash script has built-in capabilities of performing arithmetic operations on numeric values. One can use arithmetic expressions and operators to perform calculations . Here are the key aspects of arithmetic operations in Bash.

Syntax Description
+ Addition
Subtraction
* Multiplication
/ Division
% Modulus or remainder
** Raise to a power
((i++)) Increment a variable
((i–)) Decrement a variable

Arithmetic Conditional Operators

Arithmetic conditional operators are usually used on two numbers to determine if a certain condition is true or false.

Syntax Description
-lt Equals to mathematical operator (less than)
-gt Equals to mathematical operator (greater than)
-le Equals to mathematical operator (less than equal)
-ge Equals to mathematical > operator (greater than equal)
-eq Equals to mathematical operator (equal)
-ne Equals to mathematical operator (not equal)

Boolean Operators

Boolean operators include and && , or || and not equal to ! . These operators allow us to test if two or more conditions are true or not.

&& Logical AND operator
|| Logical OR operator
! NOT equal to operator

String Manipulation

We can manipulate and transform strings to achieve various tasks in Bash script. It provides a variety of techniques for string manipulation. Here are some key aspects of string manipulation:

Syntax Description
concatenated=”$str1 $str2″ Concatenate the variables set in and
substring=${str:n} Extracts a substring from index to till the end of the string that stored in variable
substring=${str:0:5} Extracts substring from index to index of the string that stored in variable
length=${#str} Find the length of the string that stored in variable
[[ $str == *”World”* ]] Returns if the string stored in variable contains the word World
replaced=${str/World/Universe} Replaces the first occurrence of ‘World’ with ‘Universe’ within the string stored in variable
trimmed=${str##*( )} Trims leading whitespace of the string stored in variable
trimmed=${trimmed%%*( )} Trims trailing whitespaces of the string stored in variable

String Comparison Operators

We can use string comparison operators to determine if a string is empty or not, and to check if a string is equal, less, or greater in length to another string.

Syntax Description
= equal
!= not equal
< less then
> greater then
-n str1 string is not empty
-z str2 string is empty

In conclusion, the Bash scripting cheat sheet of this article is a valuable resource for all levels of scriptwriter as it covers the key aspects of Bash programming. I believe the cheat sheet will help the reader to write robust, versatile and customized Bash scripts. However, Bash scripting is vast and has limitless tools and topics. So never stop to explore additional resources and documentation to deepen your understanding and proficiency in Bash scripting.

People Also Ask

What does $@ mean in bash.

$@ is a special variable in bash that indicates all the arguments passed to the script or function. It holds each argument as a separate word.

Why is bash used?

Bash is used due to its flexibility, scripting power, and its widespread use in the Unix/Linux ecosystem. It has become the go-to shell for a lot of users and system administrators because of its robustness and compatibility.

What is the full form of Bash?

Bash stands for Bourne Again Shell . It is the default shell of most Linux/Unix-like operating systems.

Which scripting language is best?

There is no straightforward answer to this question. In fact, it depends on your project’s needs and your personal preference. For example, if you need to automate the command-line task in a Unix/Linux environment, you can opt for the Bash scripting language. Other popular scripting languages include Javascript, Python, PHP, Perl, etc.

Md Zahidul Islam Laku

Md Zahidul Islam Laku

Hey, I'm Zahidul Islam Laku currently working as a Linux Content Developer Executive at SOFTEKO. I completed my graduation from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). I write articles on a variety of tech topics including Linux. Learning and writing on Linux is nothing but fun as it gives me more power on my machine. What can be more efficient than interacting with the Operating System without Graphical User Interface! Read Full Bio

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