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 .

IEEE/The Open Group                                   2003                                             EXPORT(P)