[bash] Using if elif fi in shell scripts

I'm not sure how to do an if with multiple tests in shell. I'm having trouble writing this script:

echo "You have provided the following arguments $arg1 $arg2 $arg3"
if [ "$arg1" = "$arg2" && "$arg1" != "$arg3" ]
then
    echo "Two of the provided args are equal."
    exit 3
elif [ $arg1 = $arg2 && $arg1 = $arg3 ]
then
    echo "All of the specified args are equal"
    exit 0
else
    echo "All of the specified args are different"
    exit 4
fi

The problem is I get this error every time:

./compare.sh: [: missing `]' command not found

This question is related to bash shell

The answer is


Change [ to [[, and ] to ]].


This is working for me,

 # cat checking.sh
 #!/bin/bash
 echo "You have provided the following arguments $arg1 $arg2 $arg3"
 if [ "$arg1" = "$arg2" ] && [ "$arg1" != "$arg3" ]
 then
     echo "Two of the provided args are equal."
     exit 3
 elif [ $arg1 == $arg2 ] && [ $arg1 = $arg3 ]
 then
     echo "All of the specified args are equal"
     exit 0
 else
     echo "All of the specified args are different"
     exit 4
 fi

 # ./checking.sh
 You have provided the following arguments
 All of the specified args are equal

You can add set -x in script to troubleshoot the errors.


I have a sample from your code. Try this:

echo "*Select Option:*"
echo "1 - script1"
echo "2 - script2"
echo "3 - script3 "
read option
echo "You have selected" $option"."
if [ $option="1" ]
then
    echo "1"
elif [ $option="2" ]
then
    echo "2"
    exit 0
elif [ $option="3" ]
then
    echo "3"
    exit 0
else
    echo "Please try again from given options only."
fi

This should work. :)


Josh Lee's answer works, but you can use the "&&" operator for better readability like this:

echo "You have provided the following arguments $arg1 $arg2 $arg3"
if [ "$arg1" = "$arg2" ] && [ "$arg1" != "$arg3" ]
then 
    echo "Two of the provided args are equal."
    exit 3
elif [ $arg1 = $arg2 ] && [ $arg1 = $arg3 ]
then
    echo "All of the specified args are equal"
    exit 0
else
    echo "All of the specified args are different"
    exit 4 
fi

Use double brackets...

if [[ expression ]]