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From: bill@twg.bc.ca (Bill Irwin)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.shell
Subject: Re: testing if a file is present
Message-ID: <332@twg.bc.ca>
Date: 21 Nov 90 23:02:25 GMT
References: <ger.659126250@prisma>
Distribution: comp.unix
Organization: The Westrheim Group, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Lines: 28

ger@prisma.cv.ruu.nl (Ger Timmens) writes:

>Can anybody tell me how I can verify
>whether a file exists or not ?
>I want to move files and only when
>they exist ! mv "file" gives an
>error message if "file" not exists

Try this:

if [ -f file_name ]
then
        mv file_name /new/destination/file_name
fi

The "-f" tests for the existence of the file.  There are other options:

-x  is the file executable
-r  is the file readable
-s  does the file have anything in it (greater than zero bytes)

There  are  others too.  Check your manual under "sh".  The options should  be
listed.
-- 
Bill Irwin    -       The Westrheim Group     -    Vancouver, BC, Canada
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