Next: Completion, Up: Commands

### 3.1 Invocation

Unlike regular system shells, Eshell never invokes kernel functions directly, such as `exec(3)`. Instead, it uses the Lisp functions available in the Emacs Lisp library. It does this by transforming the command you specify into a callable Lisp form.1

This transformation, from the string of text typed at the command prompt, to the ultimate invocation of either a Lisp function or external command, follows these steps:

1. Parse the command string into separate arguments.

#### Footnotes

[1] To see the Lisp form that will be invoked, type: ‘`eshell-parse-command "echo hello"`’