The test Command
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The test Command
test expression (also written as [ expression ]) evaluates a condition and sets its exit status accordingly, forming the classic POSIX way of writing conditions. [ ] requires spaces around every token and around the brackets themselves. It predates the more feature-rich [[ ]] and is still used for POSIX-portable scripts.
Warning: Missing a space, like [$a -eq $b], is a syntax error — [ is actually a command that needs spaces as argument separators.
Example: The test Command
#!/bin/bash
a=5
if test "$a" -eq 5; then
echo "a equals 5 (using test)"
fi
if [ "$a" -eq 5 ]; then
echo "a equals 5 (using [ ])"
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