From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG  Wed Apr 21 07:49:02 2004
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4985316A4CE
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Wed, 21 Apr 2004 07:49:02 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from smtp.nildram.co.uk (smtp.nildram.co.uk [195.112.4.54])
	by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E671D43D5D
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Wed, 21 Apr 2004 07:49:01 -0700 (PDT)
	(envelope-from mark@ukug.uk.freebsd.org)
Received: from ukug.uk.freebsd.org (parish.gotadsl.co.uk [62.3.235.43])
	by smtp.nildram.co.uk (Postfix) with ESMTP
	id 7FD192533F3; Wed, 21 Apr 2004 15:48:04 +0100 (BST)
Message-ID: <40868978.4050708@ukug.uk.freebsd.org>
Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 15:47:20 +0100
From: Mark Ovens <mark@ukug.uk.freebsd.org>
User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird 7.0 (Windows/20040410)
X-Accept-Language: en-gb, en-us
MIME-Version: 1.0
To: Ion-Mihai Tetcu <itetcu@apropo.ro>, freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
References: <20040421170914.5a5204a3@it.buh.cameradicommercio.ro>
In-Reply-To: <20040421170914.5a5204a3@it.buh.cameradicommercio.ro>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Subject: Re: why test(1) works with -eq but not -nq ?
X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1
Precedence: list
List-Id: User questions <freebsd-questions.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>,
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>,
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 14:49:02 -0000

Ion-Mihai Tetcu wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> 
> Could somebody explain me why in the second case I get an error (both
> with test(1) and with sh's builtin) ?
> 
> itetcu@it> /var/log/ports [16:51:38] 0
>  # sh
> # cat ports_sup_log | wc -l
>        3
> # if [ "`cat ports_sup_log | wc -l`" -eq "3" ]; then echo 'da'; fi
> da
> # if [ "`cat ports_sup_log | wc -l`" -nq "3" ]; then echo 'da'; fi
> [:        3: unexpected operator
> 
> # if (/bin/test "`cat ports_sup_log | wc -l`" -eq "3") ; then echo 'da'; fi
> da
> # if (/bin/test "`cat ports_sup_log | wc -l`" -nq "3") ; then echo 'da'; fi
> test:        3: unexpected operator
> 
> 
> 

The 'not equal' operator (I assume that is what you want) is -ne, not -nq

HTH

Regards,

Mark