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To: Steve Howe <un_x@anchorage.net>
Cc: freebsd-questions <questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
Subject: Re: test -f $shvar
References: <Pine.BSF.3.95q.970503023817.7560A-100000@aak.anchorage.net>
From: Wolfram Schneider <wosch@apfel.de>
Date: 03 May 1997 16:20:35 +0200
In-Reply-To: Steve Howe's message of Sat, 3 May 1997 02:41:57 -0800 (AKDT)
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Steve Howe <un_x@anchorage.net> writes:

> anyone notice how "test -f $shvar" always results in "true"?

This happens if the variable `shvar' is empty. This is correct because
test(1) got only one argument and assume `-f' is a non-empty string
and not the option `-f file'.

$ man test

     string        True if string is not the null string.

> whether the file exists or not, the test is always true?

test did not got a file. 


> i don't really understand why this is!  is it a bug?

The programmer must check if the variable `shvar' is
not empty. E.g.:

  test -n "$shvar" -a  -f "$shvar" 

-- 
Wolfram Schneider    <wosch@apfel.de>    http://www.apfel.de/~wosch/