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.

     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.


     -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
     find(1), sh(1).

WARNING
     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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