Bash error: "[y command not found"

Question

I am trying to get this script to function correctly but I get ./passmark.sh line 7: [y command not found.

Here is my script

#!/bin/bash
# A simple script to ask a user for a pass mark and then display a grade
# the grade will be either an A, B, C, D or F
#
CONT=y
echo
while [$CONT = "y" ]
do
        echo -e "\"Please enter a pass mark: \c \""
        read MARK
        if [$MARK -ge "0" -a $MARK -lt "50"] ; then
                echo -e "\n \"F\" \n"
        elif [$MARK -ge "50" -a $MARK -lt "60"] ; then
                echo -e "\n \"D\" \n"
        elif [$MARK -ge "60" -a $MARK -lt "70"] ; then
                echo -e "\n \"C\" \n"
        elif [$MARK -ge "70" -a $MARK -lt "80"] ; then
                echo -e "\n \"B\" \n"
        elif [$MARK -ge "80" -a $MARK -lt "100"] ; then
                echo -e "\n \"A\" \n"
        else
                echo -e "\"Invalid input!!\n \""
        fi
        echo -e "\"Would you like to enter another pass mark? (y/n) \c \""
        read REPLY
        case "$REPLY" in
                n | N | no | No | NO ) CONT=n ;;
                *) ;;
        esac
echo
done

You can also run `/bin/bash -x ./script` to have bash show you what it's parsing as it runs. What it tried will have a `+` in front of it, followed by any output. If you see an error, it's the line above. That's just for general guidance, the answer by Barmar is the cause of the error you're getting. — Tim Post, Oct 16 '14 at 22:58

score 5 · Answer 1 · answered Oct 16 '14 at 22:07

You need spaces around the [ and ], e.g.

if [ "$MARK" -ge 0 -a "$MARK" -lt 50 ]; then

The way you wrote it, when $MARK is 7, it tries to execute the [7 command instead of passing 7 as an argument to the [ command ([ is just a short name for test).

You should also quote the variable. Otherwise, if the user enters a blank line or multiple words, the test expression will not be parsed correctly.

Bash error: "[y command not found"

1 Answers1