builtin [ , -bash: [: missing `]'

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while going through learn bash the hard way, I found that [ and test are both commands and synonyms, and both are builtin.

As it is a builtin it should not give any error for builtin [ , but I am getting -bash: [: missing `]',
Can someone explain me the behavior of builtin here.
Thanks in advance.

anupam:Markdown$ which [
/usr/bin/[
anupam:Markdown$ echo $?
0
anupam:Markdown$ which test
/usr/bin/test
anupam:Markdown$ echo $?
0
anupam:Markdown$ builtin test
anupam:Markdown$ echo $?
1
anupam:Markdown$ builtin [
-bash: [: missing `]'
anupam:Markdown$ echo $?
2
anupam:Markdown$ 

command-line bash

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edited 15 mins ago

Melebius

3,95051736

asked 29 mins ago

jazzz

59631336

add a comment | 

up vote
2
down vote

favorite

while going through learn bash the hard way, I found that [ and test are both commands and synonyms, and both are builtin.

As it is a builtin it should not give any error for builtin [ , but I am getting -bash: [: missing `]',
Can someone explain me the behavior of builtin here.
Thanks in advance.

anupam:Markdown$ which [
/usr/bin/[
anupam:Markdown$ echo $?
0
anupam:Markdown$ which test
/usr/bin/test
anupam:Markdown$ echo $?
0
anupam:Markdown$ builtin test
anupam:Markdown$ echo $?
1
anupam:Markdown$ builtin [
-bash: [: missing `]'
anupam:Markdown$ echo $?
2
anupam:Markdown$ 

command-line bash

share|improve this question

edited 15 mins ago

Melebius

3,95051736

asked 29 mins ago

jazzz

59631336

add a comment | 

up vote
2
down vote

favorite

up vote
2
down vote

favorite

while going through learn bash the hard way, I found that [ and test are both commands and synonyms, and both are builtin.

As it is a builtin it should not give any error for builtin [ , but I am getting -bash: [: missing `]',
Can someone explain me the behavior of builtin here.
Thanks in advance.

anupam:Markdown$ which [
/usr/bin/[
anupam:Markdown$ echo $?
0
anupam:Markdown$ which test
/usr/bin/test
anupam:Markdown$ echo $?
0
anupam:Markdown$ builtin test
anupam:Markdown$ echo $?
1
anupam:Markdown$ builtin [
-bash: [: missing `]'
anupam:Markdown$ echo $?
2
anupam:Markdown$ 

command-line bash

share|improve this question

edited 15 mins ago

Melebius

3,95051736

asked 29 mins ago

jazzz

59631336

while going through learn bash the hard way, I found that [ and test are both commands and synonyms, and both are builtin.

As it is a builtin it should not give any error for builtin [ , but I am getting -bash: [: missing `]',
Can someone explain me the behavior of builtin here.
Thanks in advance.

anupam:Markdown$ which [
/usr/bin/[
anupam:Markdown$ echo $?
0
anupam:Markdown$ which test
/usr/bin/test
anupam:Markdown$ echo $?
0
anupam:Markdown$ builtin test
anupam:Markdown$ echo $?
1
anupam:Markdown$ builtin [
-bash: [: missing `]'
anupam:Markdown$ echo $?
2
anupam:Markdown$ 

command-line bash

command-line bash

share|improve this question

edited 15 mins ago

Melebius

3,95051736

asked 29 mins ago

jazzz

59631336

share|improve this question

edited 15 mins ago

Melebius

3,95051736

asked 29 mins ago

jazzz

59631336

share|improve this question

share|improve this question

edited 15 mins ago

Melebius

3,95051736

edited 15 mins ago

Melebius

3,95051736

edited 15 mins ago

Melebius

3,95051736

3,95051736

asked 29 mins ago

jazzz

59631336

asked 29 mins ago

jazzz

59631336

asked 29 mins ago

jazzz

59631336

59631336

add a comment | 

add a comment | 

1 Answer
1

active

oldest

votes

up vote
3
down vote

The [ version of the command requires ] as the mandatory last parameter (so it must be preceded by a space). It’s just a formal, syntactic thing to force users to close the bracketed “block”, so commands look this way:

if [ $1 -eq 2 ]; then

instead of

if [ $1 -eq 2; then

The test version does not require the final ] but accepts it. See help [:

$ help [
[: [ arg... ]
 Evaluate conditional expression.

 This is a synonym for the "test" builtin, but the last argument must
 be a literal `]', to match the opening `['.

share|improve this answer

edited 17 mins ago

muru

131k19278474

answered 22 mins ago

Melebius

3,95051736

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Thanks @Melebius , so I checked for ` builtin [ ] ` and it worked .
  – jazzz
  15 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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1 Answer
1

active

oldest

votes

1 Answer
1

active

oldest

votes

active

oldest

votes

active

oldest

votes

up vote
3
down vote

The [ version of the command requires ] as the mandatory last parameter (so it must be preceded by a space). It’s just a formal, syntactic thing to force users to close the bracketed “block”, so commands look this way:

if [ $1 -eq 2 ]; then

instead of

if [ $1 -eq 2; then

The test version does not require the final ] but accepts it. See help [:

$ help [
[: [ arg... ]
 Evaluate conditional expression.

 This is a synonym for the "test" builtin, but the last argument must
 be a literal `]', to match the opening `['.

share|improve this answer

edited 17 mins ago

muru

131k19278474

answered 22 mins ago

Melebius

3,95051736

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Thanks @Melebius , so I checked for ` builtin [ ] ` and it worked .
  – jazzz
  15 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

up vote
3
down vote

The [ version of the command requires ] as the mandatory last parameter (so it must be preceded by a space). It’s just a formal, syntactic thing to force users to close the bracketed “block”, so commands look this way:

if [ $1 -eq 2 ]; then

instead of

if [ $1 -eq 2; then

The test version does not require the final ] but accepts it. See help [:

$ help [
[: [ arg... ]
 Evaluate conditional expression.

 This is a synonym for the "test" builtin, but the last argument must
 be a literal `]', to match the opening `['.

share|improve this answer

edited 17 mins ago

muru

131k19278474

answered 22 mins ago

Melebius

3,95051736

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Thanks @Melebius , so I checked for ` builtin [ ] ` and it worked .
  – jazzz
  15 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

up vote
3
down vote

up vote
3
down vote

The [ version of the command requires ] as the mandatory last parameter (so it must be preceded by a space). It’s just a formal, syntactic thing to force users to close the bracketed “block”, so commands look this way:

if [ $1 -eq 2 ]; then

instead of

if [ $1 -eq 2; then

The test version does not require the final ] but accepts it. See help [:

$ help [
[: [ arg... ]
 Evaluate conditional expression.

 This is a synonym for the "test" builtin, but the last argument must
 be a literal `]', to match the opening `['.

share|improve this answer

edited 17 mins ago

muru

131k19278474

answered 22 mins ago

Melebius

3,95051736

The [ version of the command requires ] as the mandatory last parameter (so it must be preceded by a space). It’s just a formal, syntactic thing to force users to close the bracketed “block”, so commands look this way:

if [ $1 -eq 2 ]; then

instead of

if [ $1 -eq 2; then

The test version does not require the final ] but accepts it. See help [:

$ help [
[: [ arg... ]
 Evaluate conditional expression.

 This is a synonym for the "test" builtin, but the last argument must
 be a literal `]', to match the opening `['.

share|improve this answer

edited 17 mins ago

muru

131k19278474

answered 22 mins ago

Melebius

3,95051736

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

edited 17 mins ago

muru

131k19278474

edited 17 mins ago

muru

131k19278474

edited 17 mins ago

muru

131k19278474

131k19278474

answered 22 mins ago

Melebius

3,95051736

answered 22 mins ago

Melebius

3,95051736

answered 22 mins ago

Melebius

3,95051736

3,95051736

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Thanks @Melebius , so I checked for ` builtin [ ] ` and it worked .
  – jazzz
  15 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Thanks @Melebius , so I checked for ` builtin [ ] ` and it worked .
  – jazzz
  15 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

Thanks @Melebius , so I checked for ` builtin [ ] ` and it worked .
– jazzz
15 mins ago

Thanks @Melebius , so I checked for ` builtin [ ] ` and it worked .
– jazzz
15 mins ago

add a comment | 

 

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