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# 1  
Old 10-09-2016
Beginner: script headache
Hi,

I am new to shell scripting, but doing my best to learn things. Today doing courses there was exercise like this:

Code:
#!/usr/bin/bash
a=$1
b=$2
if [[ $a == "A" && $b == "B" ]]
then
echo "Conditions are met"
else
echo "Conditions are not met"
fi

I improved it a little, beacuse of curiosity Smilie to this:

Code:
#!/bin/sh

a=$1
b=$2


if [[ $a == "A" || $a == "a" && $b == "B" || $b == "b" ]]
then
        echo "Conditions are met"
else
        echo "Conditions are not met"
fi

And here is funny thing: when you put vaules to script as: ./script b b it shows that conditions are met, but they shouldn't - at least accroding to the first script they shouldn't, the thing I changed is sensitivity for small letters.

Maybe it's written wrong? Have no idea, please advise Smilie
# 2  
Old 10-09-2016
if you execute with debugging mode, you can see the last condition was met (b=b). That's why it shows the "conditions are met"

Code:
bash-3.2$ bash -x script.sh  b b
+ a=b
+ b=b
+ [[ b == \A ]]
+ [[ b == \a ]]
+ [[ b == \b ]]
+ echo 'Conditions are met'
Conditions are met

# 3  
Old 10-09-2016
You are having a problem with the precedence of operators. In that expression, the AND operator has higher precedence than the OR operator, so the expression in your if statement is evaluated as though you had written:
Code:
if [[ $a == "A" || ( $a == "a" && $b == "B" ) || $b == "b" ]]

To get what I think you were trying to do, you want something more like:
Code:
#!/bin/sh
a=$1
b=$2

if [[ ( $a == "A" || $a == "a" ) && ( $b == "B" || $b == "b" ) ]]
then
        echo "Conditions are met"
else
        echo "Conditions are not met"
fi

# 4  
Old 10-09-2016
Thx, now everyting is clear about this case Smilie
# 5  
Old 10-10-2016
As an addendum you are using #!/bin/sh
This is a POSIX compatible version of it...
Code:
#!/usr/local/bin/dash
# * !/bin/sh *
a=$1
b=$2

if [ "$a" = "A" ] || [ "$a" = "a" ] && [ "$b" = "B" ] || [ "$b" = "b" ]
then
        echo "Conditions are met."
else
        echo "Conditions are not met."
fi

# 6  
Old 10-10-2016
Quote:
Originally Posted by wisecracker
As an addendum you are using #!/bin/sh
This is a POSIX compatible version of it...
Code:
#!/usr/local/bin/dash
# * !/bin/sh *
a=$1
b=$2

if [ "$a" = "A" ] || [ "$a" = "a" ] && [ "$b" = "B" ] || [ "$b" = "b" ]
then
        echo "Conditions are met."
else
        echo "Conditions are not met."
fi

No. That has the same precedence problem as the code in post #1 in this thread. To do this using only POSIX-defined utilities, one way to do it would be:
Code:
#!/bin/ksh
a=$1
b=$2

if { [ "$a" = "A" ] || [ "$a" = "a" ]; } && { [ "$b" = "B" ] || [ "$b" = "b" ]; }
then
        echo "Conditions are met."
else
        echo "Conditions are not met."
fi

This was written and tested using a Korn shell, but will also work with any other POSIX-conforming shell.
This User Gave Thanks to Don Cragun For This Post:
wisecracker
# 7  
Old 10-10-2016
Hi Don...

I stand corrected...

Thanks...

EDIT:
Sorry about the edit but......
Just noticed the semi-colons, can you explain why they are needed?

---------- Post updated at 11:43 AM ---------- Previous update was at 10:09 AM ----------

It seems like this does work too...
Code:
#!/usr/local/bin/dash
a=$1
b=$2

if ( [ "$a" = "A" ] || [ "$a" = "a" ] ) && ( [ "$b" = "B" ] || [ "$b" = "b" ] )
then
        echo "Conditions are met."
else
        echo "Conditions are not met."
fi

Results, OSX 10.7.5, default [bash] terminal but calling 'dash'.
Code:
AMIGA:barrywalker~> cd Desktop/Code/Shell
AMIGA:barrywalker~/Desktop/Code/Shell> ./AND_OR.sh
Conditions are not met.
AMIGA:barrywalker~/Desktop/Code/Shell> ./AND_OR.sh a
Conditions are not met.
AMIGA:barrywalker~/Desktop/Code/Shell> ./AND_OR.sh b
Conditions are not met.
AMIGA:barrywalker~/Desktop/Code/Shell> ./AND_OR.sh "" b
Conditions are not met.
AMIGA:barrywalker~/Desktop/Code/Shell> ./AND_OR.sh b ""
Conditions are not met.
AMIGA:barrywalker~/Desktop/Code/Shell> ./AND_OR.sh a ""
Conditions are not met.
AMIGA:barrywalker~/Desktop/Code/Shell> ./AND_OR.sh "" a
Conditions are not met.
AMIGA:barrywalker~/Desktop/Code/Shell> ./AND_OR.sh a a
Conditions are not met.
AMIGA:barrywalker~/Desktop/Code/Shell> ./AND_OR.sh a b
Conditions are met.
AMIGA:barrywalker~/Desktop/Code/Shell> ./AND_OR.sh b a
Conditions are not met.
AMIGA:barrywalker~/Desktop/Code/Shell> ./AND_OR.sh b b
Conditions are not met.
AMIGA:barrywalker~/Desktop/Code/Shell> ./AND_OR.sh A b
Conditions are met.
AMIGA:barrywalker~/Desktop/Code/Shell> ./AND_OR.sh A B
Conditions are met.
AMIGA:barrywalker~/Desktop/Code/Shell> ./AND_OR.sh a B
Conditions are met.
AMIGA:barrywalker~/Desktop/Code/Shell> ./AND_OR.sh B B
Conditions are not met.
AMIGA:barrywalker~/Desktop/Code/Shell> ./AND_OR.sh B A
Conditions are not met.
AMIGA:barrywalker~/Desktop/Code/Shell> ./AND_OR.sh B b
Conditions are not met.
AMIGA:barrywalker~/Desktop/Code/Shell> ./AND_OR.sh B a
Conditions are not met.
AMIGA:barrywalker~/Desktop/Code/Shell> ./AND_OR.sh A A
Conditions are not met.
AMIGA:barrywalker~/Desktop/Code/Shell> ./AND_OR.sh b B
Conditions are not met.
AMIGA:barrywalker~/Desktop/Code/Shell> _

Last edited by wisecracker; 10-10-2016 at 07:44 AM.. Reason: This extra code was supposed to be in a new window, no idea why it is an EDIT!
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