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error "test: [-d: unary operator expected" very confused.

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Top Forums Shell Programming and Scripting error "test: [-d: unary operator expected" very confused.
# 1  
Old 06-14-2009
Network error "test: [-d: unary operator expected" very confused.
Im trying to check if a series of directory exists and if not create them, and am having issues. All the instances of test return with the error "test: [-d: unary operator expected". Searching around I see that if the variable is in double quotes its solves the problem - but for some reason, not for me. The script still makes the directories if the don't exists, however if they DO - it still tries to create them.

What noob things am I doing wrong here?

Cheers,
tired in glasgow
btw Im using OSX 10.5

Code:
#!/bin/bash
location_Parent=~/Documents/sight_of_sound
location_IMG=~/Documents/Sight_of_sound/IMG
location_AUD=~/Documents/Sight_of_sound/AUD

if test [-d "$location_Parent"]
then
echo "Parent Directory OK"
else
    echo "Error: Parent directory does not exist. Creating directory"
    mkdir $location_Parent
fi

if test [-d "$location_IMG"]
 then
    echo "IMG Directory OK"
else
    echo "Error: IMG directory does not exist. Creating directory"
    mkdir $location_IMG
fi

if test [-d "$location_AUD"]
then
    echo "AUD Directory OK"
else
    echo "Error: AUD directory does not exist. Creating directory"
    mkdir $location_AUD
fi

# 2  
Old 06-14-2009
You have to remove the word "test", the if statment is enough..

example:-

if [ -d TEMP ]
then
echo "it is a directory"
else
mkdir TEMP
fi

and it will work..
BR
# 3  
Old 06-14-2009
Check the syntax:
Code:
[ EXPRESSION ]

You need a space after the opening and before the closing bracket.

And of course, as already mentioned, you have to choose either test or [ .
Last edited by radoulov; 06-14-2009 at 11:19 AM..
# 4  
Old 06-14-2009
Equivalence of test, /usr/bin/test, [ ], and /usr/bin/[

these are commands and you can only use one of them:-

examples:-

if test -z "$1"
then
echo "No command-line arguments."
else
echo "First command-line argument is $1."
fi
echo
if /usr/bin/test -z "$1" # Equivalent to "test" builtin.
# ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ # Specifying full pathname.
then
echo "No command-line arguments."
else
echo "First command-line argument is $1."
fi
echo
if [ -z "$1" ] # Functionally identical to above code blocks.
# if [ -z "$1" should work, but...
#+ Bash responds to a missing close-bracket with an error message.
then
echo "No command-line arguments."
else
echo "First command-line argument is $1."
fi

if /usr/bin/[ -z "$1" ] # Again, functionally identical to above.
# if /usr/bin/[ -z "$1" # Works, but gives an error message.
# # Note:
# This has been fixed in Bash, version 3.x.
then
echo "No command-line arguments."
else
echo "First command-line argument is $1."
fi

Finally:-

The [[ ]] construct is the more versatile Bash version of [ ]. This is the extended test command, adopted from
ksh88.
No filename expansion or word splitting takes place between [[ and ]], but there is parameter expansion
and command substitution.
file=/etc/passwd
if [[ -e $file ]]
then
echo "Password file exists."
fi
Using the [[ ... ]] test construct, rather than [ ... ] can prevent many logic errors in scripts. For example,
the &&, ||, <, and > operators work within a [[ ]] test, despite giving an error within a [ ] construct.

# 5  
Old 06-14-2009
Thank you so much
ahmad.diab, radoulov

I'm deeply appreciative of your help
I've it working now. Smilie
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