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 .