ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Words (Unix)

Words in Unix refer to the individual pieces of text that make up a command or a sentence in a file. Just like how you use individual letters to make up words, words in Unix consist of individual blocks of characters separated by spaces. These words are used to tell the computer what to do, like asking it to open a file or run a program.

Think of it like giving your friend directions to your house. You would use different words to tell them where to turn or which street to take. In Unix, the words are like those directions, and they tell the computer what action to take. Just like how you need to use the right words in the right order to give clear directions, Unix commands also require the right words in the right order to work properly.

Words in Unix can also have special meanings, such as specifying a particular option for a command. These special words are called flags or parameters, and they change how the command behaves. For example, if you want to list all the files in a folder, you would use the "ls" command followed by a flag like "-a" to show hidden files.

In summary, words in Unix are simply the building blocks of commands or text in files, and they are used to tell the computer what to do. Just like how you use words to describe or give instructions, Unix uses words to carry out tasks.