# Chapter 5. The C Shell

#### Contents:

Overview of Features
Syntax
Variables
Expressions
Command History
Job Control
Invoking the Shell
Built-in C Shell Commands

This chapter describes the C shell, so named because many of its programming constructs and symbols resemble those of the C programming language. The following topics are presented:

- Overview of features

- Syntax

- Variables

- Expressions

- Command history

- Job control

- Invoking the shell

- Built-in commands

For more information on the C shell, see Using csh & tcsh, which is listed in the Bibliography.

## 5.1. Overview of Features

Features of the C shell include:

- Input/output redirection

- Wildcard characters (metacharacters) for filename abbreviation

- Shell variables for customizing your environment

- Integer arithmetic

- Access to previous commands (command history)

- Command name abbreviation (aliasing)

- A built-in command set for writing shell programs

- Job control

- Optional filename completion

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