Shell programming style -- a plea for better shell scripts

[gwyn%brl-vld at sri-unix.UUCP]

From:      Doug Gwyn (VLD/VMB) <gwyn at brl-vld>

The white space after #! is not mandatory, it is optional.

If a shell script is going to run a command such as an interactive
subshell where it is important that the user's original PATH be in
effect, then the script should run that command with PATH temporarily
restored.  This is standard shell programming practice.

All you info-unix subscribers who are now totally confused, go back
to my original posting on the subject and ignore the ensuing debate.
The advice I gave is correct and is based on the approach used at BRL
to cope with a variety of different UNIX command environments.