TEST(1)								       TEST(1)

NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

     test - condition evaluation command

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

     test expr
     [ expr ]

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

     test evaluates the	expression expr	and, if	its value is true, sets	a zero
     (true) exit status; otherwise, a non-zero (false) exit status is set;
     test also sets a non-zero exit status if there are	no arguments.  When
     permissions are tested, the effective user	ID of the process is used.

     All operators, flags, and brackets	(brackets used as shown	in the second
     SYNOPSIS line) must be separate arguments to the test command; normally
     these items are separated by spaces.

     The following primitives are used to construct expr:

     -e	file	 true if file exists

     -r	file	 true if file exists and is readable.

     -l	file	 true if file exists and is a symbolic link.

     -w	file	 true if file exists and is writable.

     -x	file	 true if file exists and is executable.

     -f	file	 true if file exists and is a regular file.

     -d	file	 true if file exists and is a directory.

     -h	file	 true if file exists and is a symbolic link.

     -c	file	 true if file exists and is a character	special	file.

     -b	file	 true if file exists and is a block special file.

     -p	file	 true if file exists and is a named pipe (fifo).

     -u	file	 true if file exists and its set-user-ID bit is	set.

     -g	file	 true if file exists and its set-group-ID bit is set.

     -k	file	 true if file exists and its sticky bit	is set.

     -s	file	 true if file exists and has a size greater than zero.

     -t	[ fildes ]
		 true if the open file whose file descriptor number is fildes
		 (1 by default)	is associated with a terminal device.



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TEST(1)								       TEST(1)



     -z	s1	 true if the length of string s1 is zero.

     -n	s1	 true if the length of the string s1 is	non-zero.

     s1	= s2	 true if strings s1 and	s2 are identical.

     s1	!= s2	 true if strings s1 and	s2 are not identical.

     s1		 true if s1 is not the null string.

     n1	-eq n2	 true if the integers n1 and n2	are algebraically equal.  Any
		 of the	comparisons -ne, -gt, -ge, -lt,	and -le	may be used in
		 place of -eq.

     -L	file	 true if file exists and is a symbolic link.

     These primaries may be combined with the following	operators:

     !		 unary negation	operator.

     -a		 binary	and operator.

     -o		 binary	or operator (-a	has higher precedence than -o).

     ( expr )	 parentheses for grouping.  Notice also	that parentheses are
		 meaningful to the shell and, therefore, must be quoted.

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

     find(1), sh(1).

WARNING    [Toc]    [Back]

     If	you test a file	you own	(the -r, -w, or	-x tests), but the permission
     tested does not have the owner bit	set, a non-zero	(false)	exit status
     will be returned even though the file may have the	group or other bit set
     for that permission.  The correct exit status will	be set if you are
     super-user.

     The = and != operators have a higher precedence than the -r through -n
     operators,	and = and != always expect arguments; therefore, = and !=
     cannot be used with the -r	through	-n operators.

     If	more than one argument follows the -r through -n operators, only the
     first argument is examined; the others are	ignored, unless	a -a or	a -o
     is	the second argument.

     test is implemented as a shell builtin command in many shells.  The exact
     usage many	vary slightly between shells.  For more	specific information
     see the man page for the appropriate shell.


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