Editing Thompson shell (section)

{{Short description|Unix command interpreter}}
{{Infobox software
| name                   = Thompson shell
| logo                   = <!-- [[File: ]] -->
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| caption                = 
| collapsible            = 
| author                 = [[Ken Thompson (computer programmer)|Ken Thompson]]
| developer              = [[AT&T Bell Laboratories]]
| released               = {{Start date and age|1971|11|3}}<!-- {{start date|1971|MM|DD}} -->
| discontinued           = 
| latest release version = 
| latest release date    = <!-- {{start date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
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| latest preview date    = <!-- {{start date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| programming language   = 
| operating system       = [[Unix]] and [[Unix-like]]
| platform               = 
| size                   = 
| language               = 
| genre                  = [[Unix shell]]
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}}
The '''Thompson shell''' was the first [[Unix shell]], introduced in the first version of [[Unix]] in 1971, and was written by [[Ken Thompson]].<ref name=Mashey1976-10-13>
{{cite conference
| url         = https://grosskurth.ca/bib/1976/mashey-command.pdf
| title       = Using a Command Language as a High-Level Programming Language
| conference  = 2nd International Conference on Software Engineering
| author      = [[J. R. Mashey]]
| date        = 1976-10-13
| pages       = 169–176
}}  
</ref>
It was a simple command interpreter, not designed for scripting, but nonetheless introduced several innovative features to the [[command-line interface]] and led to the development of the later Unix shells.