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Re: test builtin and '-l'
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From: |
Chet Ramey |
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Subject: |
Re: test builtin and '-l' |
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Date: |
Mon, 25 Nov 2002 10:01:56 -0500 |
> Machine Type: i686-pc-linux-gnu
>
> Bash Version: 2.05b
> Patch Level: 0
> Release Status: release
>
> Description:
> 'test -l ab -eq 2' gives an error, but '/usr/bin/test ab -eq
> 2' gives success. I'm told this used to work (but haven't
> verified it).
It's not a bug.
Historical versions of `test', including the version built into earlier
versions of the System V sh, used that `operator' to calculate string
length. It's no longer needed now that we have the ${#paramter} expansion,
and it screws up the grammar.
It's not in the POSIX.2 spec for `test', and bash no longer supports it
(and has not for quite a while).
Chet
--
``The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne.'' - Chaucer
( ``Discere est Dolere'' -- chet )
Chet Ramey, ITS, CWRU chet@po.CWRU.Edu http://cnswww.cns.cwru.edu/~chet/