NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

       test, [ - Evaluates conditional expressions

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

       test [expression]

       [[expression]]

STANDARDS    [Toc]    [Back]

       Interfaces  documented  on  this reference page conform to
       industry standards as follows:

       test:  XCU5.0

       [:  XCU5.0

       Refer to the standards(5) reference page for more information
 about industry standards and associated tags.

OPTIONS    [Toc]    [Back]

       None

OPERANDS    [Toc]    [Back]

       The  expression  to  be  evaluated as true or false.  This
       expression is constructed from the operators and  elements
       explained in the DESCRIPTION section.

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

       The  test  command  evaluates an expression constructed of
       functions and operators.  If the value  of  expression  is
       true,  test  returns an exit value of zero (0); otherwise,
       it returns FALSE, a nonzero exit value.  The test  command
       also  returns  a  nonzero exit value if there are no arguments.


       The alternate form of  the  command  surrounds  expression
       with  brackets  ([  ]).   When you use this form, you must
       surround the brackets with spaces.

   The test Expressions    [Toc]    [Back]
       All of the listed functions  and  operators  are  separate
       arguments to test.

       The  following functions are used to construct expression:
       TRUE if file exists and has read permission.  TRUE if file
       exists  and has write permission.  TRUE if file exists and
       has execute permission.  TRUE if file exists and is a regular
  file.  TRUE if file exists and is a directory.  TRUE
       if file exists.  TRUE if file exists and is  a  characterspecial
  file.  TRUE if file exists and is a block-special
       file.  TRUE if file exists and is  a  named  pipe  (FIFO).
       [Tru64  UNIX]  TRUE  if  file  exists  and is a soft link.
       Synonym for -L expression.  TRUE if file exists and  is  a
       soft  link.   Synonym  for  -h  expression.   TRUE if file
       exists and its set-user ID  bit  is  set.   TRUE  if  file
       exists   and   its   set-group  ID  bit  is  set.   [Tru64
       UNIX]  TRUE if file exists and  its  sticky  bit  is  set.
       TRUE  if file exists and has a size greater than zero (0).
       TRUE  if  the  open  file  with  file  descriptor   number
       file_descriptor (1 by default) is associated with a terminal
 device.  TRUE if the length of string1  is  zero  (0).
       TRUE if the length of string1 is nonzero.  TRUE if string1
       and string2 are identical.  TRUE if  string1  and  string2
       are  not  identical.   TRUE  if  string1  is  not the null
       string.  TRUE if the  integers  number1  and  number2  are
       algebraically  equal.   Any  of  the comparisons -ne, -gt,
       -ge, -lt, and -le can be used in place of -eq.

       The listed functions can be combined  with  the  following
       operators:  Unary negation operator.  Binary AND operator.
       Binary OR operator (the -a operator has higher  precedence
       than  the  -o  operator).   [Tru64  UNIX]  Parentheses for
       grouping.

EXIT STATUS    [Toc]    [Back]

       The following exit values are returned: The  test  command
       evaluated expression and its value is TRUE.  The test command
 evaluated expression and is value is FALSE, or  there
       are no arguments.  An error occurred.

EXAMPLES    [Toc]    [Back]

       To  test whether a file exists and is not empty, enter: 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  does  not  exist,
              this  displays  an error message.  If $1 exists, it
              displays nothing.  There must be a space between -s
              expression and the file name.

              The  double  quotes  around $1 ensure that the test
              will work properly even if the value of $1  is  the
              empty  string. If the double quotes are omitted and
              $1 is the empty string,  test  displays  the  error
              message  test: parameter expected.  To do a complex
              comparison, enter: if [ $# -lt 2  -o  ! -s  "$1"  ]
              then      exit fi

              If  the  shell  procedure  was given fewer than two
              positional parameters or the file specified  by  $1
              does  not  exist,  then this exits the shell procedure.
 The special shell variable $# represents  the
              number of positional parameters entered on the command
 line that started this shell procedure.

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES    [Toc]    [Back]

       The following environment variables affect  the  execution
       of  test:  Provides a default value for the internationalization
 variables that are unset or null. If LANG is unset
       or  null,  the corresponding value from the default locale
       is used.  If any  of  the  internationalization  variables
       contain an invalid setting, the utility behaves as if none
       of the variables had been defined.  If set to a  non-empty
       string value, overrides the values of all the other internationalization
 variables.  Determines the locale for  the
       interpretation of sequences of bytes of text data as characters
 (for example, single-byte as opposed  to  multibyte
       characters  in  arguments).  Determines the locale for the
       format and contents  of  diagnostic  messages  written  to
       standard  error.  Determines the location of message catalogues
 for the processing of LC_MESSAGES.

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

       Commands:  csh(1), find(1), ksh(1), Bourne  shell  sh(1b),
       POSIX shell sh(1p)

       Standards:  standards(5)



                                                          test(1)