sh-2.02$ echo this is a test
this is a test
sh-2.02$ echo test
test
sh-2.02$ echo $test

sh-2.02$ test="set a variable"
sh-2.02$ echo $test
set a variable
sh-2.02$ date
Sun Mar  3 10:29:33 EST 2002
sh-2.02$ ls
Unix             as6.soln.txt     notes            temp1
as2.s02.html     assign1.txt      paint.gif        temp2
as3.s02.html     assist.html      schednotes.html  todolist
as4.s02.html     first            script.html      typescript
as5.s02.html     index.html       second           wordlist
as6.s02.html     lab1.html        temp
sh-2.02$ compress todolist
sh-2.02$ ls
Unix             as6.soln.txt     notes            temp1
as2.s02.html     assign1.txt      paint.gif        temp2
as3.s02.html     assist.html      schednotes.html  todolist.Z
as4.s02.html     first            script.html      typescript
as5.s02.html     index.html       second           wordlist
as6.s02.html     lab1.html        temp
sh-2.02$ uncompress todolist.Z
sh-2.02$ ls
Unix             as6.soln.txt     notes            temp1
as2.s02.html     assign1.txt      paint.gif        temp2
as3.s02.html     assist.html      schednotes.html  todolist
as4.s02.html     first            script.html      typescript
as5.s02.html     index.html       second           wordlist
as6.s02.html     lab1.html        temp