Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!umd5!brl-adm!adm!rbj@icst-cmr.arpa
From: rbj@icst-cmr.arpa (Root Boy Jim)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Empty Directory? (Was: Picking a character from a word)
Message-ID: <13241@brl-adm.ARPA>
Date: 3 May 88 20:33:06 GMT
Sender: news@brl-adm.ARPA
Lines: 22


   From: Juergen Wagner <gandalf@csli.stanford.edu>
   Date: 28 Apr 88 22:29:13 GMT

	   set nonomatch
	   if ( ! -e $dir/* ) echo $dir is empty.

Didn't work under 4.3 BSD. How about a two-step solution?

	ls -A $dir > /tmp/$$
	if ( -z /tmp/$$ ) echo directory empty

Csh needs a few other operators, such as a test for symbolic links.

   Juergen "Gandalf" Wagner,		   gandalf@csli.stanford.edu
   Center for the Study of Language and Information (CSLI), Stanford CA

	(Root Boy) Jim Cottrell	<rbj@icst-cmr.arpa>
	National Bureau of Standards
	Flamer's Hotline: (301) 975-5688
	The opinions expressed are solely my own
	and do not reflect NBS policy or agreement
	I represent a sardine!!