Integer comparisons (-eq, -ne, -gt, -lt, -ge, -le) in Bash Scripting - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Integer Comparisons in Bash Scripting

📖 Scenario: You are writing a simple bash script to compare two numbers. This is useful when you want to check conditions like if one number is equal to, greater than, or less than another number.

🎯 Goal: Build a bash script that compares two integers using the comparison operators -eq, -ne, -gt, -lt, -ge, and -le. The script will print messages based on these comparisons.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create two integer variables named num1 and num2 with exact values

Create a variable threshold with a specific value

Use if statements with integer comparison operators -eq, -ne, -gt, -lt, -ge, and -le

Print messages that clearly state the comparison results

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Integer comparisons are common in scripts that automate tasks like checking system status, validating input, or controlling program flow based on numeric conditions.

💼 Career

Knowing how to compare numbers in bash scripts is essential for system administrators, DevOps engineers, and anyone automating tasks on Linux or Unix systems.

1

Set up two integer variables

Create two integer variables called num1 and num2 with values 10 and 20 respectively.

Bash Scripting

# Create variables num1 and num2 with values 10 and 20
# Your code here

Need a hint?

Use the syntax variable=value without spaces around the equals sign.

2

Add a threshold variable

Create a variable called threshold and set it to 15.

Bash Scripting

num1=10
num2=20
# Create variable threshold with value 15
# Your code here

Need a hint?

Remember to avoid spaces around the equals sign when assigning values.

3

Compare numbers using integer comparison operators

Write if statements to compare num1 and num2 using -lt and -gt. Print "num1 is less than num2" if num1 is less than num2, otherwise print "num1 is not less than num2".

Bash Scripting

num1=10
num2=20
threshold=15
# Use if statements to compare num1 and num2 with -lt and -gt
# Your code here

Need a hint?

Use square brackets with spaces and double quotes around variables inside the if condition.

4

Print comparison results with all operators

Add if statements to compare num1 and threshold using -eq, -ne, -ge, and -le. Print messages for each comparison result. Finally, print all messages to show the results.

Bash Scripting

num1=10
num2=20
threshold=15
if [ "$num1" -lt "$num2" ]; then
    echo "num1 is less than num2"
else
    echo "num1 is not less than num2"
fi
# Add if statements to compare num1 and threshold with -eq, -ne, -ge, -le
# Print messages for each comparison
# Your code here

Need a hint?

Use separate if blocks for each comparison. Use echo to print messages inside each block.