Integer comparisons (-eq, -ne, -gt, -lt, -ge, -le) in Bash Scripting - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does the -eq operator do in bash scripting?

The -eq operator checks if two integers are equal. It returns true if they are the same number.

beginner

How do you check if two numbers are not equal in bash?

Use the -ne operator. It returns true if the two integers are different.

intermediate

What is the difference between -gt and -ge in bash?

-gt means 'greater than' (strictly bigger), while -ge means 'greater than or equal to' (bigger or the same).

beginner

Write a bash condition to check if variable x is less than 10.

You can write: if [ "$x" -lt 10 ]; then to check if x is less than 10.

intermediate

Why should you use integer comparison operators instead of string comparison for numbers in bash?

Integer operators correctly compare numeric values, while string comparison compares characters and can give wrong results for numbers.

Which operator checks if two integers are equal in bash?

A -eq

B -ne

C -gt

D -lt

The -eq operator tests if two integers are equal.

What does the -ne operator do?

A Checks if two numbers are equal

B Checks if one number is greater than another

C Checks if two numbers are not equal

D Checks if one number is less than another

-ne means 'not equal' for integer comparison.

Which operator means 'greater than or equal to'?

A -gt

B -ge

C -le

D -lt

-ge means 'greater than or equal to'.

How would you check if variable num is less than 5?

A [ "$num" -ne 5 ]

B [ "$num" -gt 5 ]

C [ "$num" -eq 5 ]

D [ "$num" -lt 5 ]

Use -lt to check if a number is less than another.

Why avoid using string comparison operators for numbers in bash?

A They compare characters, not numeric values

B They only work with letters

C They cause syntax errors

D They are slower

String comparison compares characters, which can give wrong results for numbers.

Explain how to compare two integers in bash using the operators -eq, -ne, -gt, -lt, -ge, and -le.

Think about how you check if numbers are equal, not equal, bigger, or smaller.

Describe why integer comparison operators are important in bash scripting and give an example where string comparison would fail.

Consider how numbers behave differently as strings.