A tiny inline stream that gives a command its standard input from a string.

A here-string pipes text into a command's stdin

A Bash here-string supplies the expanded value of one word to a command’s standard input, with a newline appended. It is convenient when a small textual value already exists in a variable and the receiving tool reads stdin. The syntax removes the need for a separate printing command, but it does not promise byte-for-byte identity with the variable or a particular implementation using memory, a pipe, or a file. ...

February 15, 2027 · 4 min · XB Field Notes
A pattern-based switch that runs the first matching arm.

case runs one branch that matches a pattern

A case statement routes one value through an ordered list of shell patterns. It is useful for a command dispatcher, a small set of accepted answers, or filename-suffix classification. Each branch states the values it handles, and several patterns can share one body. The ordering and the default branch are part of the interface: they decide what happens when an input overlaps several categories or belongs to none. ...

January 30, 2027 · 4 min · XB Field Notes