Google Shell Style Guide

Official Google Shell scripting standards for consistent, maintainable Bash scripts.

Quick Reference

Golden Rules

1. Use #!/bin/bash — specify interpreter
2. Quote variables — "$var" not $var
3. Check exit codes — set -e or explicit checks
4. Use functions — organize code logically
5. Avoid parsing ls — use globs or find
6. Use [[ over [ — more features, fewer gotchas
7. ShellCheck for linting — catch common mistakes

Naming Conventions (Preview)

Basic Patterns (Preview)

#!/bin/bash
# ✓ CORRECT

set -euo pipefail  # Exit on error, undefined vars, pipe failures

readonly SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"

function main() {
  local user_count="$1"
  
  if [[ -z "${user_count}" ]]; then
    echo "Error: user_count required" >&2
    return 1
  fi
  
  echo "Processing ${user_count} users"
}

main "$@"

When to Use This Guide

• Writing new shell scripts
• Refactoring existing scripts
• Code reviews
• Setting up ShellCheck
• Onboarding new team members

Install

npx skills add testdino-hq/google-styleguides-skills/shell

Full Guide

See shell.md for complete details, examples, and edge cases.