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.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

KornShell

KornShell

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.

Categories:
Development Scripting Languages
shell scripting unix ksh

KornShell Features

  1. Interactive shell and scripting language
  2. Compatible with Bourne shell (sh)
  3. Influenced features in Bash and Zsh shells
  4. Job control
  5. Command history and editing
  6. Aliases
  7. Functions
  8. Built-in arithmetic
  9. Associative arrays
  10. POSIX compliance

Pricing

  • Open Source
  • Free

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

the xonsh shell

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.

Categories:
Development Shells
python cli shell crossplatform

The xonsh shell Features

  1. Python-powered shell
  2. Cross-platform support
  3. Unix-style pipes and redirections
  4. Syntax highlighting
  5. Tab completion
  6. Macro support
  7. History substring search
  8. Foreign shell command aliases

Pricing

  • Open Source

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