📘 Bash Scripting Curriculum – Focused on Core Capabilities (WordPress Server Context)

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1. Bash Fundamentals & Environment Setup

Module	Capability	Description
1.1	History & Role of Bash	Understand why Bash is the default Linux shell and its role in automation and scripting.
1.2	Shell vs Terminal vs Bash	Differentiate shell environments and how Bash interprets commands.
1.3	Environment Setup	Configure .bashrc, .profile, PATH variables, and aliases.
1.4	Running Scripts	Execute scripts interactively or non-interactively, with permissions (chmod +x).
1.5	Shebang (#!)	Specify interpreter path for reliable script execution.

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2. Syntax & Command Structure

Module	Capability	Description
2.1	Command Grouping	Combine commands using {}, ( ), and subshells.
2.2	Command Chaining	Use ;, &&, and `
2.3	Exit Status Codes	Interpret $? to manage success/failure flow.
2.4	Quoting & Escaping	Manage literal and expanded strings using ", ', and \.
2.5	Comments	Document scripts with # for readability and maintenance.

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3. Variables & Parameters

Module	Capability	Description
3.1	Variable Declaration	Define and reference user-defined variables.
3.2	Environment Variables	Manage system variables ($PATH, $HOME, $USER).
3.3	Positional Parameters	Access arguments passed to scripts ($1, $2, $@).
3.4	Special Variables	Understand $?, $$, $!, $UID, $RANDOM.
3.5	Parameter Expansion	Modify or substitute variable content (${var//old/new}).

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4. Input, Output & Redirection

Module	Capability	Description
4.1	Standard Streams	Understand stdin, stdout, and stderr.
4.2	Redirection Operators	Redirect outputs (>, >>, <, 2>, &>).
4.3	Piping	Pass output from one command to another using `
4.4	Tee Command	Display and write outputs simultaneously.
4.5	Here Documents & Strings	Use << and <<< for inline input blocks.

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5. Conditional Logic & Flow Control

Module	Capability	Description
5.1	If / Else	Implement branching conditions in scripts.
5.2	Comparison Operators	Compare integers, strings, and files (-eq, -lt, ==, !=).
5.3	File & Directory Tests	Use test operators (-f, -d, -r, -w, -x).
5.4	Case Statements	Simplify multi-branch logic with case ... esac.
5.5	Exit Control	Use exit, break, and continue effectively.

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6. Loops & Iteration

Module	Capability	Description
6.1	For Loops	Iterate through lists, arrays, or directories.
6.2	While & Until Loops	Perform repeated actions based on conditions.
6.3	Loop Control	Manage loop execution using break and continue.
6.4	Nested Loops	Build structured repetition for complex logic.
6.5	Practical Use	Automate repetitive system or file operations.

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7. Functions & Modularity

Module	Capability	Description
7.1	Declaring Functions	Create reusable blocks of code.
7.2	Function Arguments	Access and handle parameters inside functions.
7.3	Local Variables	Restrict variable scope with local.
7.4	Return Values	Manage success or error codes from functions.
7.5	Sourcing Files	Reuse shared functions with source or ..

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8. String & Text Operations

Module	Capability	Description
8.1	String Manipulation	Extract, slice, and modify strings.
8.2	Pattern Matching	Use wildcards (*, ?) and regex with [[ ]] or =~.
8.3	Parameter Substitution	Apply ${var#}, ${var%}, ${var//} expansions.
8.4	String Comparison	Compare and test string equality or length.
8.5	Case Conversion	Transform case (${var^^}, ${var,,}).

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9. File & Directory Operations

Module	Capability	Description
9.1	File Tests	Check existence and type using test operators.
9.2	Create / Remove	Automate file or folder creation/deletion (touch, mkdir, rm).
9.3	Copy / Move	Manage data relocation using cp and mv.
9.4	Symlinks	Create or manage symbolic links with ln -s.
9.5	Path Operations	Manipulate file paths using basename, dirname, realpath.

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10. Archiving & Compression (Bash Native)

Module	Capability	Description
10.1	Using tar	Create and extract archives with Bash commands.
10.2	Gzip & Gunzip	Compress or decompress files efficiently.
10.3	Zip & Unzip	Archive using zip utilities from scripts.
10.4	Combine Commands	Pipe output for chained compression workflows.
10.5	File Integrity	Validate success of archiving operations via exit codes.

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11. Error Handling & Debugging

Module	Capability	Description
11.1	Exit Status	Check return values to detect failures.
11.2	Error Redirection	Redirect errors to files using 2> and &>.
11.3	Traps & Signals	Catch interrupts (SIGINT, SIGTERM) and execute cleanup.
11.4	Debug Options	Enable tracing with set -x, stop on error with set -e.
11.5	Safe Execution	Combine error handling in automation scripts.

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12. Process & Job Control

Module	Capability	Description
12.1	Foreground & Background Jobs	Run tasks in background using &, fg, bg.
12.2	Job Listing	View and manage running tasks with jobs.
12.3	PID Handling	Use $!, kill, and wait for process control.
12.4	Subshells	Execute isolated commands in a separate environment.
12.5	Daemon Scripts	Build scripts that run persistently in background.

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13. Date & Time Utilities

Module	Capability	Description
13.1	Date Command	Retrieve and format dates with date.
13.2	Time Arithmetic	Use date -d for relative date operations.
13.3	Sleep & Delay	Pause script execution with sleep.
13.4	Script Timing	Measure runtime with time command.
13.5	Timestamping	Append date/time to log and backup filenames.

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14. Scheduling & Automation

Module	Capability	Description
14.1	Cron Jobs	Schedule recurring Bash script execution.
14.2	At Command	Schedule one-time jobs.
14.3	Intervals & Loops	Create manual timing inside scripts using sleep.
14.4	Log Redirection	Record automation results with >> logfile.
14.5	Job Verification	Validate cron or script status via exit codes.

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15. Advanced Bash Concepts & Integration

Module	Capability	Description
15.1	Regular Expressions	Match text patterns inside [[ ]] using =~.
15.2	Command Substitution	Embed command results inside variables ($(command)).
15.3	Parallel Execution	Run multiple processes concurrently using background jobs.
15.4	Arrays & Associative Arrays	Store multiple values and access dynamically.
15.5	Script Optimization	Use functions, lazy evaluation, and modularization for performance.

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