# test(1) - man - phpMan

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## NAME
       test - check file types and compare values

## SYNOPSIS
       **test** _EXPRESSION_
### test
       **[** _EXPRESSION_ **]**
### [ ]
       **[** _OPTION_

## DESCRIPTION
       Exit with the status determined by EXPRESSION.

       **--help** display this help and exit

### --version
              output version information and exit

       An  omitted  EXPRESSION  defaults  to false.  Otherwise, EXPRESSION is true or false and sets
       exit status.  It is one of:

       ( EXPRESSION )
              EXPRESSION is true

       ! EXPRESSION
              EXPRESSION is false

       EXPRESSION1 **-a** EXPRESSION2
              both EXPRESSION1 and EXPRESSION2 are true

       EXPRESSION1 **-o** EXPRESSION2
              either EXPRESSION1 or EXPRESSION2 is true

### -n
              the length of STRING is nonzero

       STRING equivalent to **-n** STRING

### -z
              the length of STRING is zero

       STRING1 = STRING2
              the strings are equal

       STRING1 != STRING2
              the strings are not equal

       INTEGER1 **-eq** INTEGER2
              INTEGER1 is equal to INTEGER2

       INTEGER1 **-ge** INTEGER2
              INTEGER1 is greater than or equal to INTEGER2

       INTEGER1 **-gt** INTEGER2
              INTEGER1 is greater than INTEGER2

       INTEGER1 **-le** INTEGER2
              INTEGER1 is less than or equal to INTEGER2

       INTEGER1 **-lt** INTEGER2
              INTEGER1 is less than INTEGER2

       INTEGER1 **-ne** INTEGER2
              INTEGER1 is not equal to INTEGER2

       FILE1 **-ef** FILE2
              FILE1 and FILE2 have the same device and inode numbers

       FILE1 **-nt** FILE2
              FILE1 is newer (modification date) than FILE2

       FILE1 **-ot** FILE2
              FILE1 is older than FILE2

### -b
              FILE exists and is block special

### -c
              FILE exists and is character special

### -d
              FILE exists and is a directory

### -e
              FILE exists

### -f
              FILE exists and is a regular file

### -g
              FILE exists and is set-group-ID

### -G
              FILE exists and is owned by the effective group ID

### -h
              FILE exists and is a symbolic link (same as **-L**)

### -k
              FILE exists and has its sticky bit set

### -L
              FILE exists and is a symbolic link (same as **-h**)

### -N
              FILE exists and has been modified since it was last read

### -O
              FILE exists and is owned by the effective user ID

### -p
              FILE exists and is a named pipe

### -r
              FILE exists and read permission is granted

### -s
              FILE exists and has a size greater than zero

### -S
              FILE exists and is a socket

### -t

### -u
              FILE exists and its set-user-ID bit is set

### -w
              FILE exists and write permission is granted

### -x
              FILE exists and execute (or search) permission is granted

       Except for **-h** and **-L**, all FILE-related tests dereference symbolic links.  Beware that  paren‐
       theses  need to be escaped (e.g., by backslashes) for shells.  INTEGER may also be **-l** STRING,
       which evaluates to the length of STRING.

       NOTE: Binary **-a** and **-o** are inherently ambiguous.  Use 'test EXPR1 &&  test  EXPR2'  or  'test
       EXPR1 || test EXPR2' instead.

       NOTE:  [  honors  the  **--help**  and **--version** options, but test does not.  test treats each of
       those as it treats any other nonempty STRING.

       NOTE: your shell may have its own version of test and/or [, which usually supersedes the ver‐
       sion  described  here.   Please refer to your shell's documentation for details about the op‐
       tions it supports.

## AUTHOR
       Written by Kevin Braunsdorf and Matthew Bradburn.

## REPORTING BUGS
       GNU coreutils online help: <<https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>>
       Report any translation bugs to <<https://translationproject.org/team/>>

## COPYRIGHT
       Copyright © 2020 Free Software Foundation, Inc.  License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3  or  later
       <<https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>>.
       This  is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.  There is NO WARRANTY, to
       the extent permitted by law.

## SEE ALSO
       Full documentation <<https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>[>
       or available locally via: info '(coreutils) test invocation'



GNU coreutils 8.32                          January 2026                                     [TEST(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/TEST/1/markdown)