= Alias built-in
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//:title: Yash manual - Alias built-in

The dfn:[alias built-in] defines and/or prints
link:syntax.html#aliases[aliases].

[[syntax]]
== Syntax

- +alias [-gp] [{{name}}[={{value}}]...]+

[[description]]
== Description

The alias built-in defines and/or prints link:syntax.html#aliases[aliases] as
specified by operands.
The printed aliases can be used as (part of) shell commands.
The built-in prints all currently defined aliases when given no operands.

[[options]]
== Options

+-g+::
+--global+::
With this option, aliases are defined as global aliases;
without this option, as normal aliases.

+-p+::
+--prefix+::
With this option, aliases are printed in a full command form like
`alias -g foo='bar'`.
Without this option, only command operands are printed like `foo='bar'`.

[[operands]]
== Operands

{{name}}::
The name of an alias that should be printed.

{{name}}={{value}}::
The name and value of an alias that is being defined.

[[exitstatus]]
== Exit status

The exit status of the alias built-in is zero unless there is any error.

[[notes]]
== Notes

The characters that cannot be used in an alias name are the space, tab,
newline, and any of +=$<>\'"`;&|()#+.
You can use any characters in an alias value.

The alias built-in is a link:builtin.html#types[semi-special built-in].

The POSIX standard defines no options for the alias built-in, thus no options
are available in the link:posix.html[POSIXly correct mode].

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