KornShell vs the xonsh shell

Struggling to choose between KornShell and the xonsh shell? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

KornShell is a Development solution with tags like shell, scripting, unix, ksh.

It boasts features such as Interactive shell and scripting language, Compatible with Bourne shell (sh), Influenced features in Bash and Zsh shells, Job control, Command history and editing, Aliases, Functions, Built-in arithmetic, Associative arrays, POSIX compliance and pros including Backward compatibility with Bourne shell, Powerful scripting capabilities, Rich feature set, Good performance, Available on most Unix/Linux systems.

On the other hand, the xonsh shell is a Development product tagged with python, cli, shell, crossplatform.

Its standout features include Python-powered shell, Cross-platform support, Unix-style pipes and redirections, Syntax highlighting, Tab completion, Macro support, History substring search, Foreign shell command aliases, and it shines with pros like Full Python language support allows advanced scripting, Familiar Python syntax, Interoperability with Python packages and libraries, Powerful automation capabilities, Customizable and extensible.

Feature	KornShell	the xonsh shell
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Development	Development

Product Overview

KornShell

Description: KornShell (ksh) is a Unix shell and command language written by David Korn. It is backward-compatible with the Bourne shell and includes many features from Bash and C shell. KornShell is known for its interactive scripting and job control features.

the xonsh shell

Description: The xonsh shell is a Python-powered, cross-platform, Unix-gazing shell language and command prompt. Xonsh has rich syntax highlighting, autocomplete, and macros that speed up your workflow.

Key Features Comparison

KornShell Features

• Interactive shell and scripting language
• Compatible with Bourne shell (sh)
• Influenced features in Bash and Zsh shells
• Job control
• Command history and editing
• Aliases
• Functions
• Built-in arithmetic
• Associative arrays
• POSIX compliance

the xonsh shell Features

• Python-powered shell
• Cross-platform support
• Unix-style pipes and redirections
• Syntax highlighting
• Tab completion
• Macro support
• History substring search
• Foreign shell command aliases

Pros & Cons Analysis

KornShell

Pros

• Backward compatibility with Bourne shell
• Powerful scripting capabilities
• Rich feature set
• Good performance
• Available on most Unix/Linux systems

Cons

• Not installed by default on some systems
• Less user-friendly than Bash for interactive use
• Less widespread adoption than Bash
• Some platform differences in implementation

the xonsh shell

Pros

• Full Python language support allows advanced scripting
• Familiar Python syntax
• Interoperability with Python packages and libraries
• Powerful automation capabilities
• Customizable and extensible

Cons

• Slower than native shells like bash or zsh
• Limited adoption means less community support
• Not as fully featured as mature shells like bash
• Some platform differences in behavior
• Python dependency adds complexity

Pricing Comparison

KornShell

• Open Source
• Free

the xonsh shell

• Open Source