Skip to content

caller command in MacOS

The MacOS caller command is a useful tool for displaying the execution stack of a shell script. By using this command, you can see the list of function calls leading to the current point in the script. This can be helpful for debugging purposes and understanding the flow of your script. The caller command can provide valuable information about the functions that have been executed and their order, helping you to trace back the sequence of events in your script.

Terminal window
du [option] [directory]
OptionDescription
-hHuman-readable output
-sDisplay only a total for each argument
-cDisplay a grand total for all arguments
ParameterDescription
directorySpecifies the directory to analyze
Terminal window
caller

Displays the line number and source file name of the calling function.

Terminal window
caller ./script.sh arg1 arg2

Executes a script with specified arguments and displays the line number and source file name of the function that called it.

Terminal window
caller > caller_output.txt

Redirects the output of the caller command to a file named “caller_output.txt”.

Terminal window
caller | grep "function_name"

Filters the output of the caller command to display only lines containing the specified function name.

Terminal window
caller | wc -l

Counts the number of lines in the output of the caller command.

Terminal window
if [ "$(caller)" == "0 ./script.sh" ]; then
echo "Script is being run directly"
else
echo "Script is being called from another function"
fi

Checks if the script is being run directly or called from another function using the caller command.

Terminal window
caller; caller 1; caller 2

Displays the call stack by showing the line numbers and source file names of up to three calling functions.

Terminal window
function_name() {
# Some code
caller
if [ condition ]; then
function_name
fi
}
function_name

Calls a function recursively and displays the line number and source file name of each calling instance using the caller command.

To use the caller command in MacOS, execute the following command:

Terminal window
caller --option <value>

What is the purpose of the caller command in MacOS?

Section titled “What is the purpose of the caller command in MacOS?”

The caller command in MacOS is used to display the current subroutine call path.

How can I display the call stack with caller in MacOS?

Section titled “How can I display the call stack with caller in MacOS?”

You can display the call stack using the ‘caller’ command by running:

Terminal window
caller

How do I show the line number of the current subroutine with caller in MacOS?

Section titled “How do I show the line number of the current subroutine with caller in MacOS?”

To display the line number of the current subroutine using caller in MacOS, use the command:

Terminal window
caller -l

Can I display the subroutine call stack with function names in MacOS using caller?

Section titled “Can I display the subroutine call stack with function names in MacOS using caller?”

Yes, you can display the subroutine call stack with function names by running the following command in MacOS:

Terminal window
caller -f

How to display the file name in addition to the line number with caller in MacOS?

Section titled “How to display the file name in addition to the line number with caller in MacOS?”

To show both the file name and line number using the caller command in MacOS, you can run:

Terminal window
caller -F

Is it possible to show the entire call stack hierarchy with caller in MacOS?

Section titled “Is it possible to show the entire call stack hierarchy with caller in MacOS?”

To display the entire call stack hierarchy, including the line number, use the following command in MacOS:

Terminal window
caller -v

How do I display the full path of the current script file with caller in MacOS?

Section titled “How do I display the full path of the current script file with caller in MacOS?”

To display the full path of the current script file using the caller command in MacOS, you can execute:

Terminal window
caller -l -v
  • Debugging and troubleshooting
  • Shell scripting
  • Checking the calling context of a function or script