export

SYNOPSIS
       export name[=word]...

       export -p


DESCRIPTION
       The  shell shall give the export attribute to the variables correspond-
       ing to the specified names, which shall cause them to be in  the  envi-
       ronment of subsequently executed commands. If the name of a variable is
       followed by = word, then the value of that variable  shall  be  set  to
       word.

       The  export  special built-in shall support the Base Definitions volume
       of IEEE Std 1003.1-2001, Section 12.2, Utility Syntax Guidelines.

       When -p is specified, export shall write to  the  standard  output  the
       names and values of all exported variables, in the following format:


              "export %s=%s\n", <name>, <value>

       if name is set, and:


              "export %s\n", <name>

       if name is unset.

       The shell shall format the output, including the proper use of quoting,
       so that it is suitable for  reinput  to  the  shell  as  commands  that
       achieve the same exporting results, except:

        1. Read-only variables with values cannot be reset.

        2. Variables  that were unset at the time they were output need not be
           reset to the unset state if a value is  assigned  to  the  variable
           between  the  time  the  state  was saved and the time at which the
           saved output is reinput to the shell.

       When no arguments are given, the results are unspecified.

OPTIONS
       See the DESCRIPTION.

OPERANDS
       See the DESCRIPTION.

STDIN
       Not used.

INPUT FILES
       None.

OUTPUT FILES
       None.

EXTENDED DESCRIPTION
       None.

EXIT STATUS
       Zero.

CONSEQUENCES OF ERRORS
       Default.

       The following sections are informative.

APPLICATION USAGE
       None.

EXAMPLES
       Export PWD and HOME variables:


              export PWD HOME

       Set and export the PATH variable:


              export PATH=/local/bin:$PATH

       Save and restore all exported variables:


              export -p > temp-fileunset a lot of variables... processing. temp-file

RATIONALE
       Some historical shells use  the  no-argument  case  as  the  functional
       equivalent  of  what  is  required  here with -p. This feature was left
       unspecified because it is not historical practice in  all  shells,  and
       some scripts may rely on the now-unspecified results on their implemen-
       tations. Attempts to specify the -p output as  the  default  case  were
       unsuccessful  in  achieving consensus. The -p option was added to allow
       portable access to the values that can be saved and then later restored
       using; for example, a dot script.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS
       None.

SEE ALSO
       Special Built-In Utilities

COPYRIGHT
       Portions  of  this text are reprinted and reproduced in electronic form
       from IEEE Std 1003.1, 2003 Edition, Standard for Information Technology
       --  Portable  Operating  System  Interface (POSIX), The Open Group Base