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From: allbery@ncoast.UUCP (Brandon Allbery)
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
Subject: test vs. [
Message-ID: <866@ncoast.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 27-Oct-85 18:53:34 EST
Article-I.D.: ncoast.866
Posted: Sun Oct 27 18:53:34 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 30-Oct-85 06:38:46 EST
References: <313@bdaemon.UUCP> <2000031@ccvaxa>
Reply-To: allbery@ncoast.UUCP (Brandon Allbery)
Followup-To: net.unix-wizards
Organization: Cleveland Public Access UNIX, Cleveland, OH
Lines: 33
Keywords: command-syntax
Summary: It depends on the operation

Expires:

Quoted from <2000031@ccvaxa> ["Re: In sh, is '[' a portable synony"], by preece@ccvaxa.UUCP...
+---------------
| > 	if test -f "$1"	<= 15 keystrokes + 
| > vs.
| > 	if [ -f "$1" ]	<= 14 keystrokes + 
| > 
| > Which is more readable? Note that the spaces around [] are MANDATORY.
| > /* Written  9:57 am  Oct 15, 1985 by carl@bdaemon.UUCP in
| > ccvaxa:net.unix-wizards */
| ----------
| Well, readability is very much in the eye of the beholder.  I much
| prefer the second form, which I gather you think is less readable.
+---------------

In general, when I am using the math/binary ops I use [, but when I want to
use the file predicates I use test.  Thus:

	if [ $expr -gt 5 ]; then

but

	if test -s /tmp/toMl$$; then

-- 
	``Youth, you are guilty of muddy thinking.''

	Mentor

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