source (command)

source is a Unix command that evaluates the file following the command, as a list of commands, executed in the current context.^[1]^[2]

Frequently the "current context" is a terminal window into which the user is typing commands during an interactive session. The source command can be abbreviated as just a dot.

Some bash scripts should be run using the source your-script syntax, e.g., if they contain a change directory (cd) command and the user intends that he be left in that directory after the script is complete.

References

^ "BASH BUILTIN COMMANDS", the (GNU) Linux man page for "source" in Bash-3.0. 2004 Apr 20
^ Dot (Unix)

[1] "BASH BUILTIN COMMANDS", the (GNU) Linux man page for "source" in Bash-3.0. 2004 Apr 20

[2] Dot (Unix)

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