How to Use a Key-Value Dictionary in bash | Linux Today

How to Use a Key-Value Dictionary in bash

Written By
X
Xmodulo
Feb 25, 2021

In any programming language, a dictionary is one of the most fundamental data structures that can store a set of objects in the form of key-value pairs. While bash is not a general-purpose programming language, bash version 4 and higher supports dictionaries or associative arrays natively. This tutorial demonstrates how you can use a key-value dictionary in bash.

X

Xmodulo

Linux Today Logo

LinuxToday is a trusted, contributor-driven news resource supporting all types of Linux users. Our thriving international community engages with us through social media and frequent content contributions aimed at solving problems ranging from personal computing to enterprise-level IT operations. LinuxToday serves as a home for a community that struggles to find comparable information elsewhere on the web.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.