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From: john@moncol.UUCP (John Ruschmeyer)
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
Subject: Re: In sh, is '[' a portable synonym for 'test'?
Message-ID: <537@moncol.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 20-Oct-85 11:39:18 EDT
Article-I.D.: moncol.537
Posted: Sun Oct 20 11:39:18 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 21-Oct-85 01:01:29 EDT
References: <482@phri.UUCP> <2887@sun.uucp> <531@moncol.UUCP> <5242@elsie.UUCP>
Organization: Monmouth College, West Long Branch, NJ 07764
Lines: 25

>From: ado@elsie.UUCP (Arthur David Olson)
>Message-ID: <5242@elsie.UUCP>
>Organization: NIH-LEC, Bethesda, MD
>
>> Any good reason *NOT* to make the link?
>
>If you want your software to be portable to sites where the administrators
>refuse to make the link (for *whatever* reason), don't make the link on your
>own site.

Actually, that almost sounds like a good reason to make the link, but
never use it in your own software. Therefore you do have some compatability
with the Sys V and 4.2 programmers who use '[' instead of 'test'.

Now if there was a patch for the v7 'sh' to use '#' as a real comment....

-- 
Name:		John Ruschmeyer
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	    "It all started out as a mild curiousity in a junkyard...
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