Shell commands allow users to navigate through the system’s directories, perform operations on files, and execute programs. One of the most important operators in shell commands is the “&&” operator, which concatenates two commands together.
This article will discuss the purpose of “&&” in detail, along with its usage, by explaining the below outline.
- The purpose of “&&” Operator
- How to use “&&” in a Shell Command?
- Examples of “&&” in a Shell Command
The Purpose of “&&” Operator
The “&&” operator is normally used between the two commands, and it is used to execute those commands one after the other. This means that the command on the left side of this operator will be executed first, and the command on the right will execute later. This is only possible if the first command is executed perfectly. Otherwise, the second command will also not execute.
This operator can streamline the workflow and save time by executing multiple commands in one line.
How to Use “&&” in a Shell Command?
To use “&&” in a shell command, you must enter the first command, followed by the “&&” operator, and then the second command. The syntax for using “&&” in a shell command is as follows:
$ command1 && command2
Example 1:
One of the examples of the “&&” operator that can be used in the shell is mentioned below:
$ cd Documents && ls -l
This command will first access the Documents directory using the ‘cd’ command and then list the content using the ‘ls’ command.
Example 2:
Another example of the && command is mentioned below, where a new directory will be created, and then that directory will be accessed as below:
$ mkdir new_folder && cd new_folder
The ‘mkdir’ command is used to create a folder with the name ‘new_folder’ and then this folder will be accessed using a ‘cd’ command.
Conclusion
The “&&” operator is useful for concatenating two commands in a shell command. It allows users to execute multiple commands in one line and ensures that the second command is executed only if the first command is successful. This command is useful to streamline the workflow and save time. This article has discussed the “&&” operator’s purpose, examples, and usage.
