UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Im trying to code some logic into a test script to test for the existence of a file before recreating it. Im using the following line to test for this:
if -r test.txt;
However I get the error message
./testScript.sh: -r: not found
Having read through the man pages im still not clear whats going wrong.



Heres a copy of a script im testing this with.

#!/usr/bin/sh

if -r test.txt;
then
echo test.txt exists;
else
echo test.txt does not exists;
fi

#!/usr/bin/sh
if [ -f ./pressyfile ]
then
echo blabla
else
echo nonblabla
fi


greetings Preßy

You are on the right track, but you need to tell the shell what to do with the -r test.txt. You can either use the command test ef if test -r ..... or enclose your test with square brackets eg
if [ -r test.txt ]
then
....
else
.....
fi
NB the spaces after the sopen square and before the close square brackets. Also you are testing for read permission on file rather than -f file or -s file has content and exists.