test(1F)          MISC. REFERENCE MANUAL PAGES           test(1F)



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.

     All operators, flags, and brackets (brackets used  as  shown
     in  the  second SYNOPSIS line) must be separate arguments to
     test.  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.

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

     -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 ter-
               minal device.



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test(1F)          MISC. REFERENCE MANUAL PAGES           test(1F)



     -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.

     These primaries may be combined with  the  following  opera-
     tors:

     !           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.

NOTES
     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 per-
     mission.  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  opera-
     tors,  only  the  first argument is examined; the others are
     ignored, unless a -a or a -o is the second argument.

SEE ALSO
     find(1), sh(1) in the UNIX System V  Programmer's  Reference
     Manual.







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