bug-bash
[Top][All Lists]
Advanced

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: test -n STRING and test STRING differ


From: Dan Jacobson
Subject: Re: test -n STRING and test STRING differ
Date: Mon, 06 Sep 2004 04:57:04 +0800

Paul> I don't see any bug.

Well, you've got to admit that docs like

       [-n] STRING
              the length of STRING is nonzero


       `-n STRING'
       `STRING'
       True if the length of STRING is nonzero.

and bash's

        -n STRING
        STRING         True if string is not empty.

make it look like we can "make our code clearer by inserting(removing)
-n's", until we discover our test 'find x -mtime +3` does not always
work like test -n `find x -mtime +3`, and no we don't want to use
"`...`".

So we end up in Computer Court and the judge says we lose the case
because we didn't actually give a STRING like you say... however, I
would add a note to the docs, please!

Examining
http://groups.google.com/groups?frame=right&th=73267772355ffa53&seekm=4g9_c.2327$N4.1123%40newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net
you'll see I used test, so a user misunderstood--yes, his problem. I
was about to change it to test -n to make my ideas clearer, thinking they were
equivalent... but good thing I caught the difference.  Please add a warning.




reply via email to

[Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread]