Making interactive shell scripts with menus and prompts

Notice

This is an unedited manuscript accepted for publication and provided as an Article in Press for early access at the author’s request. The article will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and galley proof review before final publication. Please be aware that errors may be identified during production that could affect the content. All legal disclaimers of the journal apply.

Year : 2025 | Volume : 12 | 03 | Page :
    By

    V. Basil Hans,

  1. Research Scholar, Department of Management and Commerce, Srinivas University, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India

Abstract

Interactive shell scripts make the user experience better by letting the script and the user talkto each other in real time. This article talks about the best ways to make interactive shell scripts that use menus, prompts, and checking user input. It starts by talking about the basic tools that are available in Bash and other popular shells that make it possible to interact with the computer. These tools include the read command, select loops, and conditional expressions. Readers will learn how to construct dynamic text-based menus, get and process user input, and handle errors to make scripts more stable and easier to use through real- world examples. The article also talks about how to use colour and formatting together to make things easier to use and read. By the end, readers will be able to write interactive scripts that are useful for system administration, automated tasks, and lightweight user interfaces right from the command line.

Keywords: Shell Scripting, Bash Automation, User Interaction, Command-Line Interface (CLI), and Menu-Driven Programs

How to cite this article:
V. Basil Hans. Making interactive shell scripts with menus and prompts. Journal of Advances in Shell Programming. 2025; 12(03):-.
How to cite this URL:
V. Basil Hans. Making interactive shell scripts with menus and prompts. Journal of Advances in Shell Programming. 2025; 12(03):-. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/joasp/article=2025/view=233448


References

  1. Dakic V, Redzepagic J. Linux Command Line and Shell Scripting Techniques: Master practical aspects of the Linux command line and then use it as a part of the shell scripting process. Packt Publishing Ltd; 2022 Mar 24.
  2. Singh SK. Linux yourself: concept and programming. Chapman and Hall/CRC; 2021 Aug 30.
  3. Di Muzio E, Toti D, Polticelli F. DockingApp: a user friendly interface for facilitated docking simulations with AutoDock Vina. Journal of Computer-Aided Molecular Design. 2017 Feb;31(2):213-8.
  4. Tiwari MH, Upadhyay MJ, Kaur MG, Gupta MT. Mastering Java Programming: From Basics to Advanced. Chyren Publication; 2025 Sep 9.
  5. Bartneck C, Soucy M, Fleuret K, Sandoval EB. The robot engine—Making the unity 3D game engine work for HRI. In2015 24th IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN) 2015 Aug 31 (pp. 431-437). IEEE.
  6. Blum R. Linux All-in-one for Dummies. John Wiley & Sons; 2022 Nov 16.
  7. Jiang S, Kahn J. Data wrangling practices and collaborative interactions with aggregated data. International journal of computer-supported collaborative learning. 2020 Sep;15(3):257-81.
  8. Rosário-Ferreira N, Baptista SJ, Barreto CA, Rodrigues FE, Silva TF, Ferreira SG, Vitorino JN, Melo R, Victor BL, Machuqueiro M, Moreira IS. In silico end-to-end protein–ligand interaction characterization pipeline: the case of SARS-CoV-2. ACS Synthetic Biology. 2021 Nov 4;10(11):3209-35.
  9. Kochan SG, Wood P. UNIX shell programming. Sams Publishing; 2003 Feb 27.
  10. Gridin I. Hyperparameter optimization under shell. InAutomated Deep Learning Using Neural Network Intelligence: Develop and Design PyTorch and TensorFlow Models Using Python 2022 Jun 21 (pp. 111-184). Berkeley, CA: Apress.

Ahead of Print Subscription Review Article
Volume 12
03
Received 05/11/2025
Accepted 08/11/2025
Published 04/12/2025
Publication Time 29 Days


Login


My IP

PlumX Metrics