NAME

       export - set the export attribute for variables

SYNOPSIS

       export name[=word]...

       export -p

DESCRIPTION

       The  shell shall give the export attribute to the variables corresponding to the specified
       names, which shall cause them to be in the environment 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.

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

       None.

ASYNCHRONOUS EVENTS

       Default.

STDOUT

       See the DESCRIPTION.

STDERR

       The standard error shall be used only for diagnostic messages.

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
       implementations.  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 Specifications Issue 6, Copyright (C) 2001-2003 by
       the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc and  The  Open  Group.  In  the
       event  of  any  discrepancy  between this version and the original IEEE and The Open Group
       Standard, the original IEEE and The Open Group  Standard  is  the  referee  document.  The
       original Standard can be obtained online at http://www.opengroup.org/unix/online.html .