Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!hao!ames!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!jack!man!nusdhub!rwhite
From: rwhite@nusdhub.UUCP (Robert C. White Jr.)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: /bin/test and stat(2)
Message-ID: <179@nusdhub.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 27-Oct-87 14:04:45 EST
Article-I.D.: nusdhub.179
Posted: Tue Oct 27 14:04:45 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 30-Oct-87 05:03:57 EST
References: <9974@brl-adm.ARPA>
Organization: National University, San Diego
Lines: 20
Summary: A simple fix:

In article <9974@brl-adm.ARPA>, franco@MIKEY.BBN.COM (Frank A. Lonigro) writes:
> After reading the many responses to my original invocation of this subject
> (many of which got off onto the wrong track), I still think that:
> 	/bin/test -d "$FOO"
> should return FALSE if FOO=""

The issue above is easily setteled by a little care...
> 	/bin/test -d "$FOO"
should become one of the following:
	/bin/test -d "${FOO:? <error message>}"  # to terminate shell
	/bin/test -d "${FOO:=/etc/system}"       # to garentee false
	/bin/test -d "${FOO:-/etc/system}"	 # same without affecting
						 # the value of FOO

If you take care of your variable sustitutions, they will take care of you.

Incidently, on our system 'test -d "" ' returns false anyway...
Cest le Gare

Rob.