Exporting shell variables (export shell command)
A local shell variable is a variable known only to the shell that created it. If you start a new shell, the old shell's variables are unknown to it. If you want the new shells that you open to use the variables from an old shell, export the variables to make them global.
You can use the export command to make
local variables global. To make your local shell variables global
automatically, export them in your .profile file.
Note: Variables
can be exported down to child shells but not exported up to parent
shells.
See the following examples:
- To make the local shell variable PATH global,
type the following:
export PATH
- To list all your exported variables, type the following:
The system displays information similar to the following:export
DISPLAY=unix:0 EDITOR=vi ENV=$HOME/.env HISTFILE=/u/denise/.history HISTSIZE=500 HOME=/u/denise LANG=En_US LOGNAME=denise MAIL=/usr/mail/denise MAILCHECK=0 MAILMSG=**YOU HAVE NEW MAIL. USE THE mail COMMAND TO SEE YOUR MAILPATH=/usr/mail/denise?denise has mail !!! MAILRECORD=/u/denise/.Outmail PATH=/usr/ucb:/usr/lpp/X11/bin:/bin:/usr/bin:/etc:/u/denise:/u/denise/bin:/u/bin1 PWD=/u/denise SHELL=/bin/ksh