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From: guy@auspex.auspex.com (Guy Harris)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.shell
Subject: Re: Question about 'test' (Was Re: testing if a file is present)
Message-ID: <4586@auspex.auspex.com>
Date: 29 Nov 90 19:04:36 GMT
References: <ger.659126250@prisma> <1990Nov21.191638.19469@athena.mit.edu> <90326.175421PPH93@DMSWWU1A.BITNET>
Organization: Auspex Systems, Santa Clara
Lines: 11

>But what will the (bourne-) shell say about...
>>
>>        if [ -r filename ]; then

It'll say "OK, this 'if' is going to run the command named '[', passing
it '-r' as its first argument, 'filename' as its second argument, and
']' as its third argument."

"test"/"[" will then say "well, I was invoked as '[' rather than 'test';
that means I should check to make sure my last argument is ']', and
complain otherwise."