Powscript

1.1.2 verified Fri May 01 auth: no javascript deprecated

Powscript is a bash dialect transpiler written in bash that provides a CoffeeScript-inspired, indentation-based syntax for shell scripting. It compiles to bash (version 4+) or experimental POSIX sh, reducing semantic noise from traditional shell syntax. Features include automatic quoting, safety checks (halt on error, require_cmd/require_env), functional programming constructs, JSON support, module system, and easy async. The current stable version is 0.9 (based on old compiler), with a new compiler in development (beta available). It is self-installing with no external dependencies (bash-only) and targets embedded systems or any environment where bash is available. Key differentiator: no need for gcc or node – pure bash, but not actively maintained.

Common errors

error bash: powscript: command not found ↓

cause Powscript not installed in PATH or not executable.

fix

Download and make executable: wget -O /usr/local/bin/powscript https://raw.githubusercontent.com/coderofsalvation/powscript/master/powscript && chmod +x /usr/local/bin/powscript

error ./powscript: line 1: syntax error near unexpected token `newline' ↓

cause The powscript file was not downloaded correctly (e.g., missing shebang).

fix

Re-download the raw script from GitHub using wget or curl.

error require_cmd: echo: command not found ↓

cause The required command is not installed on the system.

fix

Install the missing command (e.g., via apt-get, yum) or remove the require_cmd line.

Warnings

gotcha Powscript requires bash >= 4.x. Running on older bash versions will cause errors. ↓

fix Upgrade bash to version 4 or later, or use a different shell.

breaking The new compiler (beta) is not backward compatible; scripts written for the old compiler may not work. ↓

fix Check the beta compiler repository for migration notes.

deprecated Project is in maintenance mode with no active development. The README points to a beta version by another author. ↓

fix Consider alternatives like shellcheck, bashate, or writing bash directly if future support is needed.

gotcha POSIX sh output (--sh flag) is experimental and may contain bashisms if the powscript uses bash-specific features. ↓

fix Manually verify output with checkbashisms or stick to bash output.

Install

npm install powscript

yarn add powscript

pnpm add powscript

Imports

powscript
wrong
```
npm install powscript
```
correct
```
./powscript myscript.pow
```
Powscript is a shell script, not a JavaScript package. Download and execute directly.

compile

wrong

./powscript -o output bash myscript.pow

correct

./powscript -c myscript.pow > myscript.bash

Use -c for compile to bash, --sh for POSIX sh output.

run
wrong
```
bash myscript.pow
```
correct
```
./powscript myscript.pow
```
Run .pow files directly with powscript interpreter.

Quickstart

Install powscript, create a simple script with argument handling, run it directly, and compile to bash.

wget "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/coderofsalvation/powscript/master/powscript" -O /usr/local/bin/powscript && chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/powscript
# Create a test.pow file:
cat > test.pow << 'EOF'
#!/usr/bin/env powscript
require_cmd 'echo'
require_env 'HOME'

run(@args -- foo)
  if empty? foo
    echo "error: please pass --foo <string>"
    exit 1
  echo $args[@] "$foo universe!!"
  echo "HOME=$HOME"

run $@
EOF
# Run it:
powscript test.pow hello --foo powful
# Or compile to bash:
powscript -c test.pow > test.bash