Bash: where to put and how to load function libs?

[Michael Schuerig <michael.lists@schuerig.de>]

I'm in the process of reorganizing bash/shell scripts I've accumulated 
over the years. In several places I have been lazy and as a result there 
is duplicate code that I want to extract into shared function libraries. 
This has led me to a few questions:

Where do I put shell function libs? There are several candidates:

- /usr/local/share: they are architecture independent, after all
- /usr/local/lib: that's where pythonX.Y and site_ruby go

What's the proper extension?

- .sh: even if it's bash code?
- .bash.
- .functions

How do I test a script that's sourcing such a lib *without* installing 
the lib?

# my-script:
#!/bin/bash
. /usr/local/lib/my.functions
...

The file at /usr/local/lib/my.functions is the current "production" 
version. However, I want to test the version at 
/usr/local/src/myscripts/my.functions. I'm considering something like 
this

# my-script:
#!/bin/bash
. ${SCRIPT_LIB_PATH:-/usr/local/lib}/my.functions

$ SCRIPT_LIB_PATH=/usr/local/src/myscripts my-script

Is there a better way?

Michael

-- 
Michael Schuerig
mailto:michael@schuerig.de
http://www.schuerig.de/michael/