The test command in Unix evaluates the expression parameter. In most recent shell implementations, it is a shell builtin, even though the external version still exists. In the second form of the command, the must be surrounded by blank spaces. One must test explicitly for file names in the [C shell. File-name substitution causes the shell script to exit. The test command is not to be confused with the reserved word that was introduced with ksh88. The latter is not a command but part of the ksh88 syntax and does not apply file-name substitution to glob expressions. The version of test bundled in GNU coreutils was written by Kevin Braunsdorf and Matthew Bradburn.
Syntax
test expression or
Arguments
The following arguments are used to construct this parameter: -e FileName - FileName exists All remaining arguments return true if the object exists, and the condition specified is true. -b Filename - Returns a True exit value if the specified FileName exists and is a block special file -c FileName - FileName is a character special file -d FileName - FileName is a directory -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 -r FileName - FileName is readable by the current process -s FileName - FileName has a sizegreater than 0 -tFileDescriptor - 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 change cd into the directory. Non standard Korn Shell extensions: 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 -
String arguments
In Perl, these sections are reversed: eq is a string operator and is a numerical operator, and so on for the others. -n String1 - the length of the String1 variable is nonzero -z String1 - the length of the String1 variable is 0 String1 = String2 - String1 and String2 variables are identical String1 != String2 - String1 and String2 variables are not identical String1 - true if String1 variable is not a null string
Number arguments
Integer1 -eq Integer2 - Integer1 and Integer2 variables are algebraically equal -ne - not equal -gt - greater than -ge - greater or equal -lt - less than -le - less or equal
Operators
test arguments can be combined with the following operators: ! - Unary negation operator -a - Binary AND operator -o - Binary OR operator \ - Parentheses for grouping must be escaped with a backslash \ The -a and -o operators, along with parentheses for grouping, are XSI extensions 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.
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
Examples
1. To test whether a file is nonexistent or 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 or is of size 0, the test command displays the 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 || ! 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.
