Re: Test -a and -e

[Chet Ramey]

Jan Schampera wrote:
> Hello list,
> 
> Code:
> $ [ ! -e /bin/bash ] && echo "Doesn't exist"; [ -e /bin/bash ] && echo
> "Exists"
> 
> Output:
> Exists
> 
> 
> Code:
> $ [ ! -a /bin/bash ] && echo "Doesn't exist"; [ -a /bin/bash ] && echo
> "Exists"
> 
> Output:
> Doesn't exist
> Exists
> 
> 
> It seems there's a difference between -a and -e, though they are (as far
> as I can see) documented to do the same thing.

Please read the Bash FAQ, question E1.  The behavior of test depends on
the number of arguments; the rules are in the manual page.

Chet
-- 
``The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne.'' - Chaucer
                 ``Ars longa, vita brevis'' - Hippocrates
Chet Ramey, ITS, CWRU    chet@case.edu    http://cnswww.cns.cwru.edu/~chet/