[SOLVED] Multiple if condition in bash not working

Issue

I have written the following bash script:

if [ "crack" == "crack" -a "something/play" == *"play"* ];
then
     echo "Passed"
else
     echo "Failed"
fi

However the right side of this comparison is not working. I noticed that if I use it the only right side with [[ "something/play" == *"play"* ]] it works correctly but how do I combine the two conditions inside the if clause.

Solution

It's a difference between [ and [[. The first is a standard command, where = just tests for equality. (Note that the standard operator is =, not ==.) The latter is a feature from ksh, supported in Bash and Zsh, and there, =/== is a pattern match. Also, you should avoid using -a within [ .. ], it can break if you do something like [ "$a" = foo -a "$b" = bar ] and $a or $b contains a !.

So,

$ if [[ "crack" == "crack" && "something/play" == *"play"* ]]; then echo true; fi
true

See also (in unix.SE): Why is [ a shell builtin and [[ a shell keyword? and What is the difference between the Bash operators [[ vs [ vs ( vs ((?.

Answered By - ilkkachu

Answer Checked By - Marilyn (WPSolving Volunteer)