String comparisons (=, !=, -z, -n) in Bash Scripting - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

💻 Command Output

intermediate

What is the output of this Bash script snippet?

Consider the following Bash code:

str="hello"
if [ "$str" = "hello" ]; then
  echo "Match"
else
  echo "No match"
fi

What will be printed when this script runs?

Bash Scripting

str="hello"
if [ "$str" = "hello" ]; then
  echo "Match"
else
  echo "No match"
fi

A Syntax error

B No match

C Match

D Empty output

💡 Hint

Check how string equality is tested in Bash with single brackets.

The test [ "$str" = "hello" ] checks if the variable str equals the string "hello". Since it does, the script prints "Match".

💻 Command Output

intermediate

What does this Bash condition check?

What is the output of this Bash snippet?

str=""
if [ -z "$str" ]; then
  echo "Empty"
else
  echo "Not empty"
fi

Bash Scripting

str=""
if [ -z "$str" ]; then
  echo "Empty"
else
  echo "Not empty"
fi

A Not empty

B Empty

C Syntax error

D No output

💡 Hint

The -z test checks if a string is empty.

The -z operator returns true if the string is empty. Since str is empty, it prints "Empty".

💻 Command Output

advanced

What is the output of this Bash script with string inequality?

Analyze this Bash code:

str="world"
if [ "$str" != "hello" ]; then
  echo "Different"
else
  echo "Same"
fi

What will it print?

Bash Scripting

str="world"
if [ "$str" != "hello" ]; then
  echo "Different"
else
  echo "Same"
fi

A Different

B Same

C Syntax error

D No output

💡 Hint

The != operator checks if strings are not equal.

Since "world" is not equal to "hello", the condition is true and it prints "Different".

💻 Command Output

advanced

What happens when using -n with a non-empty string?

What is the output of this Bash snippet?

str="text"
if [ -n "$str" ]; then
  echo "Has content"
else
  echo "Empty"
fi

Bash Scripting

str="text"
if [ -n "$str" ]; then
  echo "Has content"
else
  echo "Empty"
fi

A Syntax error

B Empty

C No output

D Has content

💡 Hint

The -n test checks if a string is not empty.

The -n operator returns true if the string is not empty. Since str contains "text", it prints "Has content".

💻 Command Output

expert

What is the output of this Bash script with multiple string tests?

Consider this Bash script:

str1=""
str2="data"
if [ -z "$str1" ] && [ "$str2" = "data" ]; then
  echo "Condition met"
else
  echo "Condition not met"
fi

What will it print?

Bash Scripting

str1=""
str2="data"
if [ -z "$str1" ] && [ "$str2" = "data" ]; then
  echo "Condition met"
else
  echo "Condition not met"
fi

A Condition met

B Condition not met

C Syntax error

D No output

💡 Hint

Both conditions must be true for the && operator to pass.

str1 is empty, so -z "$str1" is true. str2 equals "data", so "$str2" = "data" is true. Both true means the script prints "Condition met".