# test

```
test EXPRESSION
[
[ EXPRESSION ]
[ ]
[ OPTION
]
```

Check file types and compare values.

## After Help

Exit with the status determined by `EXPRESSION`.

An omitted `EXPRESSION` defaults to false.
Otherwise, `EXPRESSION` is true or false and sets exit status. 

It is one of:

* ( EXPRESSION )               `EXPRESSION` is true
* ! EXPRESSION                 `EXPRESSION` is false
* EXPRESSION1 -a EXPRESSION2   both `EXPRESSION1` and `EXPRESSION2` are true
* EXPRESSION1 -o EXPRESSION2   either `EXPRESSION1` or `EXPRESSION2` is true

String operations:
* -n STRING            the length of `STRING` is nonzero
* STRING               equivalent to -n `STRING`
* -z STRING            the length of `STRING` is zero
* STRING1 = STRING2    the strings are equal
* STRING1 != STRING2   the strings are not equal

Integer comparisons:
* INTEGER1 -eq INTEGER2   `INTEGER1` is equal to `INTEGER2`
* INTEGER1 -ge INTEGER2   `INTEGER1` is greater than or equal to `INTEGER2`
* INTEGER1 -gt INTEGER2   `INTEGER1` is greater than `INTEGER2`
* INTEGER1 -le INTEGER2   `INTEGER1` is less than or equal to `INTEGER2`
* INTEGER1 -lt INTEGER2   `INTEGER1` is less than `INTEGER2`
* INTEGER1 -ne INTEGER2   `INTEGER1` is not equal to `INTEGER2`

File operations:
* FILE1 -ef FILE2   `FILE1` and `FILE2` have the same device and inode numbers
* FILE1 -nt FILE2   `FILE1` is newer (modification date) than `FILE2`
* FILE1 -ot FILE2   `FILE1` is older than `FILE2`

* -b FILE     `FILE` exists and is block special
* -c FILE     `FILE` exists and is character special
* -d FILE     `FILE` exists and is a directory
* -e FILE     `FILE` exists
* -f FILE     `FILE` exists and is a regular file
* -g FILE     `FILE` exists and is set-group-ID
* -G FILE     `FILE` exists and is owned by the effective group ID
* -h FILE     `FILE` exists and is a symbolic link (same as -L)
* -k FILE     `FILE` exists and has its sticky bit set
* -L FILE     `FILE` exists and is a symbolic link (same as -h)
* -N FILE     `FILE` exists and has been modified since it was last read
* -O FILE     `FILE` exists and is owned by the effective user ID
* -p FILE     `FILE` exists and is a named pipe
* -r FILE     `FILE` exists and read permission is granted
* -s FILE     `FILE` exists and has a size greater than zero
* -S FILE     `FILE` exists and is a socket
* -t FD       `file` descriptor `FD` is opened on a terminal
* -u FILE     `FILE` exists and its set-user-ID bit is set
* -w FILE     `FILE` exists and write permission is granted
* -x FILE     `FILE` exists and execute (or search) permission is granted

Except for `-h` and `-L`, all FILE-related tests dereference (follow) symbolic links.
Beware that parentheses need to be escaped (e.g., by backslashes) for shells.
`INTEGER` may also be -l `STRING`, which evaluates to the length of `STRING`.

NOTE: Binary `-a` and `-o` are inherently ambiguous.
Use `test EXPR1 && test EXPR2` or `test EXPR1 || test EXPR2` instead.

NOTE: `[` honors the `--help` and `--version` options, but test does not.
test treats each of those as it treats any other nonempty `STRING`.

NOTE: your shell may have its own version of `test` and/or `[`, which usually supersedes the version described here.
Please refer to your shell's documentation for details about the options it supports.