Returning a boolean from a Bash function

Question

I want to write a bash function that check if a file has certain properties and returns true or false. Then I can use it in my scripts in the \"if\". But what should I retur

Answer 1

It might work if you rewrite this function myfun(){ ... return 0; else return 1; fi;} as this function myfun(){ ... return; else false; fi;}. That is if false is the last instruction in the function you get false result for whole function but return interrupts function with true result anyway. I believe it's true for my bash interpreter at least.

Answer 2

Use the true or false commands immediately before your return, then return with no parameters. The return will automatically use the value of your last command.

Providing arguments to return is inconsistent, type specific and prone to error if you are not using 1 or 0. And as previous comments have stated, using 1 or 0 here is not the right way to approach this function.

#!/bin/bash

function test_for_cat {
    if [ $1 = "cat" ];
    then
        true
        return
    else
        false
        return
    fi
}

for i in cat hat;
do
    echo "${i}:"
    if test_for_cat "${i}";
    then
        echo "- True"
    else
        echo "- False"
    fi
done

Output:

$ bash bash_return.sh

cat:
- True
hat:
- False

Answer 3

I found the shortest form to test the function output is simply

do_something() {
    [[ -e $1 ]] # e.g. test file exists
}

do_something "myfile.txt" || { echo "File doesn't exist!"; exit 1; }

Answer 4

Following up on @Bruno Bronosky and @mrteatime, I offer the suggestion that you just write your boolean return "backwards". This is what I mean:

foo()
{
    if [ "$1" == "bar" ]; then
        true; return
    else
        false; return
    fi;
}

That eliminates the ugly two line requirement for every return statement.

Answer 5

Use 0 for true and 1 for false.

Sample:

#!/bin/bash

isdirectory() {
  if [ -d "$1" ]
  then
    # 0 = true
    return 0 
  else
    # 1 = false
    return 1
  fi
}


if isdirectory $1; then echo "is directory"; else echo "nopes"; fi

Edit

From @amichair's comment, these are also possible

isdirectory() {
  if [ -d "$1" ]
  then
    true
  else
    false
  fi
}


isdirectory() {
  [ -d "$1" ]
}

Answer 6

myfun(){
    [ -d "$1" ]
}
if myfun "path"; then
    echo yes
fi
# or
myfun "path" && echo yes