# The trap builtin command

## Synopsis

    trap [-lp] [[ARGUMENT] SIGNAL]

## Description

The `trap` command is used to "trap" signals and other events. In this
context, "trapping" means to install handler code.

The shell code `ARGUMENT` is to be read and executed whenever the shell
receives a signal or another event `SIGNAL`. The given `SIGNAL`
specification can be

- the name of a signal with the SIG prefix, e.g. `SIGTERM`
- the name of a signal without the SIG prefix, e.g. `TERM`
- the number of a signal (see `trap -l`), e.g. `15`
- the name or number of a special event (see table below), e.g. `EXIT`

Without any options or operands, `trap` prints a list of installed traps
in a reusable format (equivalent to the `-p` option).

Special `ARGUMENT`s

- if `ARGUMENT` is absent or `-` (dash), the signal/event handler is
  reset to its original value
- if `ARGUMENT` is the null string, the signal/event is ignored

Special events

| Name     | Code | Description                                                                                                                               |
|:---------|:-----|:------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| `EXIT`   | 0    | executed on shell exit                                                                                                                    |
| `DEBUG`  |      | executed before every simple command                                                                                                      |
| `RETURN` |      | executed when a shell function or a sourced code finishes executing                                                                       |
| `ERR`    |      | executed each time a command's failure would cause the shell to exit when the [`-e` option (`errexit`)](/commands/builtin/set) is enabled |

### Options

| Option | Description                                                                              |
|:-------|:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| `-l`   | print a list of signal names and their corresponding numbers                             |
| `-p`   | display the trap commands associated with each signal specification in a reusable format |

### Return status

| Status | Reason                       |
|:-------|:-----------------------------|
| 0      | no error/success             |
| !=0    | invalid option               |
| !=0    | invalid signal specification |

## Examples

### List installed traps

    trap

### Ignore terminal interrupt (Ctrl-C, SIGINT)

    trap '' INT

## Portability considerations

- `trap` is specified by POSIX(R) without the `-l` and `-p` options
- in POSIX(R), beside signals, only `EXIT` (0) is valid as an event

## See also

- [the set command](/commands/builtin/set) for the `-e` (`errexit`)
  option