UNIX for Beginners Questions & Answers

You always have something interesting to contribute, so: you're welome!

You noted some very good books and, yes, if we are talking shell programming they might be better places to look at compared to the Stevens. On the other hand - and this was my implicit point - I think there is something about how "good" programs are written which is absolutely independent of the programming language employed. Regardless of writing in assembler or the most high-level programming language there are some practices, some dos and don'ts which should be known by everybody before s/he even attempts "hello world". This is what Stevens talks about.

It might be easier to first read Eric Raymonds TAOUP, but - without wanting to take away from Erics achievement - at its very essence IMHO it rehashes what W. R. Stevens already laid down in his book. This is because the principles, the "rules" of our art are eternal and cast in stone.

bakunin