Checking if a Directory Exists in a Bash Shell Script

In Bash shell scripting, you can easily check whether a directory exists or not using various techniques.

Using the '-d' Test Operator

The '-d' Test Operator

The '-d' test operator is used in Bash to check if a directory exists.

Syntax

if [ -d "$directory_path" ]; then
    # Directory exists
else
    # Directory does not exist
fi

Example

directory_path="/path/to/directory"

if [ -d "$directory_path" ]; then
    echo "The directory exists."
else
    echo "The directory does not exist."
fi

In this example, the '-d' test operator is used to check if the directory specified by the '$directory_path' variable exists. The script prints the appropriate message based on the result of the check.

Using the 'test' Command

The 'test' Command

The 'test' command, also represented by '[ ]', is used for various tests in Bash, including checking for the existence of a directory.

Syntax

if test -d "$directory_path"; then
    # Directory exists
else
    # Directory does not exist
fi

Example

directory_path="/path/to/directory"

if test -d "$directory_path"; then
    echo "The directory exists."
else
    echo "The directory does not exist."
fi

In this example, the 'test' command is used with the '-d' option to check if the directory specified by the '$directory_path' variable exists.

Using the '[[ ]]' Construct

The '[[ ]]' Construct

The '[[ ]]' construct is an extended version of the 'test' command and is available in most modern shells.

Syntax

if [[ -d "$directory_path" ]]; then
    # Directory exists
else
    # Directory does not exist
fi

Example

directory_path="/path/to/directory"

if [[ -d "$directory_path" ]]; then
    echo "The directory exists."
else
    echo "The directory does not exist."
fi

In this example, the '[[ ]]' construct is used with the '-d' option to check if the directory specified by the '$directory_path' variable exists.