command -- execute a simple command

command execute a simple command	KornShell Built-in

SYNOPSIS

command [-p] command-name[argument...]

command [-V|-v] command-name

command causes the KornShell to suppress its function lookup and execute the given command-name and arguments as though they made up a standard command line. In most cases, if command-name is not the name of a function the results are the same as omitting command. If, however, command-name is a special built-in utility (see sh), some unique properties of special built-ins do not apply:

A syntax error in the utility does not cause the shell executing the utility to abort.
Variable assignments specified with the special built-in utility do not remain in effect after the shell has executed the utility.

Options

-p: searches for command-name using the default system PATH.
-V: writes a string indicating how the shell interprets command-name. If command-name is a utility, regular built-in utility or an implementation-provided function found using the PATH variable, the string identifies it as such and includes the absolute path name. If command-name is an alias, function, special built-in utility or reserved word, the string identifies it as such and includes its definition if it is an alias.
-v: writes a string indicating the path name or command that the shell uses to invoke command-name.

EXAMPLES

Typically, you use command when you have a command that may have the same name as a function. For example, here's a definition of a cd function that not only switches to a new directory, but also uses ls to list the contents of that directory.

function cd {
    command cd $1
    ls -F
}

This function uses command to get at the real cd. If this was not done, the cd function would call itself in an infinite recursion.

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

PATH: contains a list of directories for command to use when searching for command-name except as described under the -p option.

DIAGNOSTICS

If you specified -v, possible exit status values are:

0: Successful completion.
1: command was unable to find command-name or an error occurred.
2: Failure due to invalid command line argument.

If you did not specify -v, possible exit status values are:

126: command found command-name, but failed to invoke it.
127: An error occurred in the command utility or it was unable to find command-name.

Otherwise, the exit status of command is the exit status of command-name.

PORTABILITY

POSIX.2. x/OPEN Portability Guide 4.0.

NOTE

This command is built into the MKS KornShell.

command

KornShell Built-in