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Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2005 15:12:35 -0400
From: Christopher Faylor <cgf-no-personal-reply-please AT cygwin DOT com>
To: cygwin AT cygwin DOT com
Subject: Re: bash test -n && test -z return tru
Message-ID: <20050819191235.GA19495@trixie.casa.cgf.cx>
Reply-To: cygwin AT cygwin DOT com
References: <43062C7F DOT 8010906 AT pooryorick DOT com>
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On Fri, Aug 19, 2005 at 03:01:19PM -0400, Poor Yorick wrote:
>from reading the bash man pages, I would have thought the -n and -z were 
>mutually exclusive.  Therefore I don't understand this result:
>
>~>$ [ -n $(which nonexisingfilename 2>/dev/null) ] && [ -z $(which 
>nonexistingfilename 2&>/dev/null) ]  && echo hello
>hello
>~>$
>
>can anyone help explain this?

This defaults to

  [ -n ] && [ -z ] && echo hello

I would have expected a syntax error in that case.

Regardless of that, however, if you want to actually make this work you
need to do something like:

  [ -n "$(which nonexisingfilename 2>/dev/null)" ]

cgf

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