Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!cbnewsl!urban
From: urban@cbnewsl.att.com (john.urban)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: How do I tell when a directory is empty in a script?
Message-ID: <1991Apr3.211052.893@cbnewsl.att.com>
Date: 3 Apr 91 21:10:52 GMT
References: <1991Mar30.040400.13893@ncsu.edu> <gt0fjt=@rpi.edu> <563@bria>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 24

>In an article, mml0.meche.rpi.edu!fitz (Brian Fitzgerald) writes:
>Michael Harris writes:
>>When I am running a shell script, how can I tell when a directory is empty?
>
>Try:
>
>	if [ ! "`ls -A $name`" ] ; then

Why not just run rmdir $directory and if it works, then the directory was empty.

ie.

if [ -d test1 ]
then rmdir test1
     if [ -d test1 ]
     then echo Not empty directory test1
     else mkdir test1
          echo Empty directory test1
     fi
fi


Sincerely,
John Urban