test(1) test(1)
NAME
test - condition evaluation command
SYNOPSIS
test expr
[expr]
DESCRIPTION
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. test processes
supplementary code set characters in expr according to the
locale specified in the LC_CTYPE environment variable [see
LANG on environ(5)].
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:
-r file true if file exists and is readable.
-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.
Alternatively, if /usr/bin/sh users specify
/usr/ucb before /usr/bin in their PATH environment
variable, then test will return true if file
exists and is not a directory. This is also the
default for /usr/bin/csh users.
-d file true if file exists and is a directory.
-h file true if file exists and is a symbolic link. With
all other primitives (except -L file), the
symbolic links are followed by default.
-c file true if file exists and is a character special
file.
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test(1) test(1)
-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.
-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. With
all other primitives (except -h file), the
symbolic links are followed by default.
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).
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test(1) test(1)
(expr) parentheses for grouping. Notice also that
parentheses are meaningful to the shell and,
therefore, must be quoted.
FILES
/usr/lib/locale/locale/LC_MESSAGES/uxcore.abi
language-specific message file [See LANG on environ
(5).]
REFERENCES
find(1), sh(1)
NOTICES
The not-a-directory alternative to the -f option is a
transition aid for applications and may not be supported in
future releases.
The -L option is a migration aid for users of other shells
which have similar options and may not be supported in future
releases.
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 a privileged 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.
Copyright 1994 Novell, Inc. Page 3