test

Additional Notes

test is a shell command used to evaluate conditional expressions. It evaluates conditional expressions and returns a zero or non-zero exit status for use in if, while, and ||/&& constructs.

test is specified by POSIX. The [ form is equivalent; use it for file tests (-f, -d), string comparisons, and numeric comparisons.

Syntax

test [arguments]

Parameters

• options: Flags that change how test behaves.
• arguments: Values consumed by the shell builtin or script command.
• command: Command line to run, test, wrap, or control.

Common Options

• --help: Show command help when supported.
• --version: Show version information when supported.

Examples

test --help
man test

Practical Notes

Options can vary by distribution and package version. Use man test, test --help, or the package documentation for exact syntax.