SHlike

SHlike is a term used in computing to describe scripting languages and command-line interpreters that emulate the syntax and behavior of the traditional Bourne shell (sh). It groups shells and scripting languages whose design prioritizes small size, fast startup, POSIX compatibility, and straightforward, line-oriented syntax. The label is informal and varies by author; it is not a formal standard.

Typical SHlike shells implement POSIX sh features: variable assignment, command substitution, redirection, pipelines, and control structures such as if/then/else, case, for, while. They often support features useful for scripting in constrained environments, such as limited builtins, minimal memory footprint, and suitability for embedded systems.

Examples commonly described as SHlike include dash (the Debian Almquist shell), ash (BusyBox/BusyBox-like shells), mksh, and the traditional /bin/sh on many Unix-like systems. Some modern shells that preserve SH compatibility but add extensions may be described as SHlike-ready, even if they also offer more Bash-like features.

Usage and compatibility: SHlike scripts tend to be portable across POSIX-compliant environments; many system scripts use sh-like syntax to maximize compatibility across distributions. In some contexts, "SHlike" is contrasted with "Bash-like" or "Zsh-like" to indicate a more minimal, standards-based approach.

See also: Bourne shell, POSIX sh, dash, ash, BusyBox, KornShell.