Choosing Between the Shells

With the Key Shell, new users can comfortably start with the Korn Shell and use the Key Shell interface to ease into the syntax and power of the Korn Shell.
If you feel comfortable with a command line driven shell, the Bourne Shell might be the place to start. Remember that you can later migrate to the Korn Shell if you want its interactive or programming features.
If you are a C programmer, the C Shell may be a good starting point, since you will already be familiar with the C Shell syntax.
The POSIX Shell is the future HP-UX Shell and also the standard Shell in the HP-UX environment. It is fully compatible with HP-UX Korn Shell and also conforms to the standards defined in POSIX - IEEE P1003.2.

Table 1-1 “Comparison of Shell Features” lists some additional features which may help you make a decision on which shell would be best for the kind of work you are doing:

Table 1-1 Comparison of Shell Features

Features	Description	Bourne	POSIX Korn Key	C
Command history	A feature allowing commands to be stored in a buffer, then modified and reused.	No	Yes	Yes
Line editing	The ability to modify the current or previous command lines with a text editor.	No	Yes	No
File name completion	The ability to automatically finish typing file names in command lines.	No	Yes	Yes
`alias` command	A feature allowing users to rename commands, automatically include command options, or abbreviate long command lines.	No	Yes	Yes
Restricted shells	A security feature providing a controlled environment with limited capabilities.	Yes	Yes	No
Job control	Tools for tracking and accessing processes that run in the background. See Shells: User's Guide	No	Yes	Yes

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