Test (Unix)
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- The correct title of this article is test. The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions.
test is a Unix command that evaluates conditional expressions.
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[edit] Syntax
test Expression or [ Expression ]
[edit] Description
The test command evaluates the expression parameter, and if the expression value is true, it returns a zero (True) exit value. Otherwise, the test command returns a nonzero (false) exit value. The test command also returns a nonzero exit value if there are no parameters.
Notes: 1. In the second form of the command, the [ ] (brackets) must be surrounded by blank spaces. 2. You must test explicitly for file names in the C shell. File-name substitution (globbing) causes the shell script to exit.
Functions and operators are treated as separate parameters by the test command. The expression parameter refers to a statement that is checked for a true or false condition.
[edit] Functions
The following functions are used to construct this parameter:
-b Filename -- Returns a True exit value if the specified FileName exists and is a block special file.
Note: All remaining functions return true if the object (file or string) exists, and the condition specified is true.
-c FileName -- Filename is a character special file. -d FileName -- FileName is a directory. -e FileName -- FileName exists. -f FileName -- FileName is a regular file. -g FileName -- FileName's Set Group ID bit is set. -h FileName -- FileName is a symbolic link. -k FileName -- FileName's sticky bit is set. -L FileName -- FileName is a symbolic link. -p FileName -- FileName is a named pipe (FIFO). -r FileName -- FileName is readable by the current process. -s FileName -- FileName has a size greater than 0. -t FileDescriptor -- FileDescriptor is open and associated with a terminal. -u FileName -- FileName's Set User ID bit is set.
-w FileName -- FileName's write flag is on. However, the FileName will not be writable on a read-only file system even if test indicates true.
-x FileName -- FileName's execute flag is on. If the specified file exists and is a directory, the True exit value indicates that the current process has permission to search in the directory.
[edit] String functions
-n String1 -- the length of the String1 variable is nonzero. -z String1 -- the length of the String1 variable is 0 (zero). String1 = String2 -- String1 and String2 variables are identical. String1 != String2 -- String1 and String2 variables are not identical. String1 -- String1 variable is not a null string.
[edit] Number functions
Integer1 -eq Integer2 -- Integer1 and Integer2 variables are algebraically equal. Any of the following comparisons can be used in place of -eq. -ne (not equal) -gt (greater than) -ge (greater or equal) -lt (less than) -le (less or equal)
file1 -nt file2 -- file1 is newer than file2. file1 -ot file2 -- file1 is older than file2. file1 -ef file2 -- file1 is another name for file2. (symbolic link)
[edit] Operators
These functions can be combined with the following operators:
! -- Unary negation operator -a -- Binary AND operator -o -- Binary OR operator (the -a operator has higher precedence than the -o operator) \(Expression\) -- Parentheses for grouping must be escaped with a backslash (\).
The -a and -o operators, along with parentheses for grouping, are XSI extensions[1] and are therefore not portable. In portable shell scripts, the same effect may be achieved by connecting multiple invocations of test together with the &&
and ||
operators and parentheses.
[edit] Exit Status
This command returns the following exit values:
0 The Expression parameter is true.
1 The Expression parameter is false or missing.
>1 An error occurred.
[edit] Examples
1. To test whether a file exists and is not empty, type:
if test ! -s "$1" then echo $1 does not exist or is empty. fi
If the file specified by the first positional parameter to the shell procedure, $1, does not exist, the test command displays an error message. If $1 exists and has a size greater than 0, the test command displays nothing.
Note: There must be a space between the -s function and the file name.
The quotation marks around $1 ensure that the test works properly even if the value of $1 is a null string. If the quotation marks are omitted and $1 is the empty string, the test command displays the error message
test: argument expected.
2. To do a complex comparison, type:
if [ $# -lt 2 -o ! -e "$1" ] then exit fi
If the shell procedure is given fewer than two positional parameters or the file specified by $1 does not exist, then the shell procedure exits. The special shell variable $# represents the number of positional parameters entered on the command line that starts this shell procedure.