Jim,
I did not understand what you want to say in the last post. I really appreciate your suggestions/anwsers , and I got clue only from your previous post which mentioned about 'expr' . I tried that, but it did not work with my unix version-got syntax error:
================================
aix3 : /users/vnd001 $ typeset -L var
aix3 : /users/vnd001 $ var="123456"
aix3 : /users/vnd001 $ echo ${#var}
6
aix3 : /users/vnd001 $ var=""
aix3 : /users/vnd001 $ echo ${#var}
6
aix3 : /users/vnd001 $ tmp=" "
aix3 : /users/vnd001 $ isspace=`expr index $var $tmp`
expr: 0402-050 Syntax error.

aix3 : /users/vnd001 $
aix3 : /users/vnd001 $ isp=`echo $var | sed 's/ //g'`
aix3 : /users/vnd001 $ if [ ${#isp} -eq 0 ] ; then
> echo "error"
> fi
error
aix3 : /users/vnd001 $
aix3 : /users/vnd001 $
==================================

This was no artificial requirement.. This little piece is a part of major rollout for Sabanes-Oxley.
Here's the bigger picture:
======================================
typeset -L newpass
typeset -L newpassen

IFS="
"

if [ $# -ne 1 ]; then
echo "Usage: $0 <newpasswd>"
exit 1
fi

newpass=$1
newpassen=""
while [[ ${#newpassen} -ne 32 || ${#isp} -eq 0 ]]; do

newpassen=""
typeset -L newpassen
newpassen1=`encrypt6.2 $newpass`

# get rid of LF
newpassen=`echo $newpassen1`

# make sure that the string doesn't contain a single quote
echo $newpassen | grep -q "'"
if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
newpassen=""
fi
#if newpassen assigned to empty then loop again
isp=`echo $newpassen | sed 's/ //g'`
#undo typeset on newpassen
typeset +L newpassen
done
...
....
....
----
====================================
I am not an expert but I want to be one... This unix forum has been a great help for me..

Thanks
vipas