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error with TEST command

 
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# 1  
Old 12-27-2011
error with TEST command
Hi,

I have written a script to compare 2 string values.. below is the script.. it throws an error - ./compare_str.sh[5]: test: amount1|amount2: unknown operator..


as both are string values, I am using a = operator in the test command.

can some one help me figure out where the issue is?
Code:
header_data_file=`head -1 ABC_INVENTORY`
ABC_INVENTORY1="amount1|amount2"
flag=`test [ $ABC_INVENTORY1 = $header_data_file ]`
echo $flag

the value for header_data_file is - amount1|amount2|amount3|amount4|city|country|name1|name2|number1|number2

and ABC_INVENTORY1 value is amount1|amount2


thanks!
Last edited by Scott; 12-27-2011 at 05:18 PM.. Reason: Please use code tags
# 2  
Old 12-27-2011
test and [ are synonymous. You don't need both.

Code:
$ test 1 -eq 1 && echo REALLY?!
REALLY?!
$ test [ 1 -eq 1 ] && echo REALLY?!
ksh: 1: unknown test operator

Besides that, if you're reading from (parsing) a file, you'll need more logic than a simple test.
# 3  
Old 12-27-2011
thanks scott. can you please elaborate on the logic part? Do you mean to check if the file contains data before doing a head -1 or something else?
# 4  
Old 12-27-2011
Nope. I think I just made that up - missed that you had used head to already read the file Smilie

Um. So flag should show whether the two match? Like:

Code:
flag=$( [[ $ABC_INVENTORY1 = $header_data_file ]] && echo Yes || echo No)

# 5  
Old 12-27-2011
hi scott,

yes, the flag value should show if the strings match or not.. I have the same values for both the strings but it didnt show a Yes, it always show a No....
script I have is:


Code:
header_data_file=`head -1 ABC_INVENTORY`
ABC_INVENTORY1="amount1|amount2|amount3|amount4|city|country|name1|name2|number1|number2"
flag=$( [[ $ABC_INVENTORY1 = $header_data_file ]] && echo Yes || echo No)
echo $flag

thanks!
Last edited by Scott; 12-27-2011 at 07:15 PM.. Reason: PLEASE, use code tags
# 6  
Old 12-27-2011
Please, try to debug your code.

After:
Code:
header_data_file=`head -1 ABC_INVENTORY`

add:
Code:
echo "$header_data_file"

and compare (and show us) the output.

(and, please start using code tags. There's a video demo here: Using Code Tags)
# 7  
Old 12-27-2011
Hi Scott, thanks much for your responses..

below is the code:

PHP Code:
header_data_file=`head -1 ABC_INVENTORY`
echo $header_data_file
ABC_INVENTORY1="amount1|amount2|amount3|amount4|city|country|name1|name2|number1|number2"
echo $ABC_INVENTORY1
#flag=`[ $ABC_INVENTORY1 =  $header_data_file ]`
flag=$( [[ $ABC_INVENTORY1 = $header_data_file ]] && echo Yes || echo No)
echo $flag 
Output from the code:

$ ./compare_str.sh
amount1|amount2|amount3|amount4|city|country|name1|name2|number1|number2
amount1|amount2|amount3|amount4|city|country|name1|name2|number1|number2
No

though ABC_INVENTORY and header_data_file are matching, the result is No which means not matching..
 
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