corrected your code but maybe I had too much "beaujolais nouveau" just now...
Code:
#!/usr/bin/ksh
set -x
V_DATE='2008-08-30'
echo $V_DATE
V_DATE_DASH1=$(echo $V_DATE | cut -c 5)
echo 'INFO V_DATE_DASH1: ' $V_DATE_DASH1
V_DASH="-"
echo 'INFO V_DASH:'$V_DASH
read pp
echo $V_DATE_DASH1 = $V_DASH
read pp
if [ "$V_DATE_DASH1" = "$V_DASH" ]
then echo "INFO V_DATE_DASH1 is OK"
else echo "ERROR V_DATE_DASH1 not a "-" "
usage # Im waiting to see...
fi
