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Course 112 · Digital course 19

Use the Command Line for File and Text Work

Turn a tiny fictional registration file into a checked report using readable terminal commands.

Before you start

Use Bash on Linux or macOS, or free Git Bash on Windows.

See everything you’ll need

Practice materials and a worked example · Free download. Download the starter pack

What you’ll leave with

A repeatable Bash workflow with checked registration counts, a controlled rerun and clear handoff instructions.

Start course Start without an account. Sign in to save lesson progress across devices.

Your project

Start with the practice files. Build your project one lesson at a time.

Practice files are free without an account. Sign in to save your project record in My Proof: a description, checklist, and optional work link. Keep the original files in your own app or notebook; saving a project record does not upload them.

  1. Get your materialsDownload practice filesStart with the supplied materials, follow the lessons, and compare your work with the annotated example.
  2. Make your projectView the project checklist Work in your own notebook, document, or software. Use the supplied practice examples when you prefer.
  3. Keep a private recordSave a project record Sign in to save a description and checklist, then return to update them.
Optional course overview

Watch an introduction.

This overview from Missing Semester introduces ideas you’ll practice in the lessons.

Watch directly on YouTube
Missing SemesterLecture 1: Course Overview + The Shell (2020)YouTube
Course handbook

Know the route before you begin.

Here’s what you’ll need and what you’ll make. You can return to this guide during any lesson.

Who this is for

Learners age 14+ who meet the stated prerequisites.

Prepare before lesson one
  • Use Bash on Linux or macOS, or free Git Bash on Windows.
  • Know how to create folders and save plain text; use a dedicated practice folder.
  • Reading and core practice include the three checks. Initial software setup and optional video viewing take extra time.
Your final project

Finish with proof you can use.

A repeatable Bash workflow with checked registration counts, a controlled rerun and clear handoff instructions.

Save a project record in My Proof
See project checklist and review criteria

Keep your working files in your own notebook or software. Save a private description, checklist, and work link in My Proof.

What to include

  • Location and path log.
  • Raw-row count with header handling.
  • Confirmed counts by session.
  • Reviewed script and dedicated output path.
  • Baseline/variation results and handoff.

Review and revise

Use these criteria to check your work and choose what to improve.

  • Paths and quoting are accurate.
  • Counts reconcile with the fixture.
  • Raw data is preserved.
  • Rerun and limitations are explained.
Three ideas to help you along the way
Three useful ideas

The rules behind the steps.

01

Inspect before acting

Know the current folder and input structure.

02

Preserve raw input

Write reports to a separate output path.

03

Check with a variation

A controlled added row should cause a predictable count change.

What do these words mean?
Key words

Key terms worth knowing.

Argument
A value supplied after a command name.
Path
The location of a file or folder.
Pipe
A connection from one command’s output to another’s input.
Redirection
Sending output to a file instead of the terminal.
Script
Saved commands run by a shell.
Your route

6 lessons.
One useful project.

Work in order the first time. Each lesson makes something the next lesson can use.

  1. 1
    Up next

    Read your location before running commands

    Identify the current directory and distinguish a command from its output.

  2. 2
    18 min

    Navigate and quote paths

    Use relative paths and quote a folder name containing spaces.

  3. 3
    26 min

    Inspect text and count records

    Distinguish lines including a header from data records.

  4. 4
    34 min

    Combine filters into a checked summary

    Count confirmed registrations by session using a pipeline.

  5. 5
    31 min

    Save a repeatable script

    Turn the checked pipeline into a script that writes a dedicated result file.

  6. 6
    36 min

    Rerun with a changed input and hand off

    Verify that the script responds predictably to a controlled data change.

Use the tools

Tools to help you practice.

See all tools
ZIP · practice files

Use the Command Line for File and Text Work practice files

Start with the supplied materials, follow the lessons, and compare your work with the annotated example.

Text worksheet

Your course project worksheet

A downloadable text worksheet with each lesson’s working output, space for your answers, and the shared final-project checklist. Save your own copy.

Source transparency

Sources and further study.

Explore the references behind the lessons and take your learning further. Source notes explain access and reuse.

MIT Missing Semester: Course Overview and the Shell
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12

Opened and inspected on 2026-09-12: Arguments, paths and input/output.

Access: Free public web page; no paid enrollment required.

Reuse: CC BY-NC-SA; link only.

Software Carpentry: Navigating Files and Directories
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12

Opened and inspected on 2026-09-12: Working directory and relative paths.

Access: Free public web page; no paid enrollment required.

Reuse: CC BY 4.0 instruction; MIT examples. Independent fixture used.

Software Carpentry: Pipes and Filters
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12

Opened and inspected on 2026-09-12: Sorting, counts, pipes and redirection.

Access: Free public web page; no paid enrollment required.

Reuse: CC BY 4.0 instruction; MIT examples. Independent fixture used.

Lecture 1: Course Overview + The Shell (2020)
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12

Metadata retrieved and inspected on 2026-09-12: exact title and channel confirmed through YouTube oEmbed. Playback and full video content were not tested. Optional overview; the written lesson and supplied practice stand alone.

Access: Free public web page; no paid enrollment required.

Reuse: Link or provider embed only; do not copy video, audio or transcript.

Ready when you are

Start with the first useful move.

You’ll always know what to do, what to make, and where to go next.

Start lesson one