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bxm
bxm
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The comment about not parsing ls is right on the money. However, in this narrow instance the problem you have is to do with quoting.

This should work:

if [ "$(ls -A $DIR)" ]
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

But it's really a bad way to solve the problem, for multiple reasons.

Here's a singlean alternative (copious others are bound to exist):

if find "${DIR}/" -maxdepth 1 -mindepth 1 | head -1 | grep -Eq "^.|^$"
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

The theory here being that the head -1 will cease the pipeline as soon as we discover a single entry, which should save some time in the event the directory has a lot of entries.

The grep -q "^.|^$" just confirms that something (or an empty line) was returned by the preceding commands.

Or...

Another way would be to look at the number of "links" the directory has. Any empty directory has exactly 2; one each for the special . and .. entries.

GNU stat

if stat --printf %h "${DIR}/" | grep -qvFx 2
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

MacOS native stat

if stat -f %l "${DIR}/" | grep -qvFx 2
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

Both of these assume that either the OS or filesystem will block directory hard linking and report two links when empty, if that'sone or more of these are not the case, the find solution would be saferthe better choice.

The comment about not parsing ls is right on the money. However, in this narrow instance the problem you have is to do with quoting.

This should work:

if [ "$(ls -A $DIR)" ]
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

But it's really a bad way to solve the problem, for multiple reasons.

Here's a single alternative (copious others are bound to exist):

if find "${DIR}/" -maxdepth 1 -mindepth 1 | head -1 | grep -Eq "^.|^$"
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

The theory here being that the head -1 will cease the pipeline as soon as we discover a single entry, which should save some time in the event the directory has a lot of entries.

The grep -q "^.|^$" just confirms that something (or an empty line) was returned by the preceding commands.

Or...

Another way would be to look at the number of "links" the directory has. Any empty directory has exactly 2; one each for the special . and .. entries.

GNU stat

if stat --printf %h "${DIR}/" | grep -qvFx 2
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

MacOS native stat

if stat -f %l "${DIR}/" | grep -qvFx 2
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

Both of these assume that either the OS or filesystem will block directory hard linking, if that's not the case, the find solution would be safer.

The comment about not parsing ls is right on the money. However, in this narrow instance the problem you have is to do with quoting.

This should work:

if [ "$(ls -A $DIR)" ]
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

But it's really a bad way to solve the problem, for multiple reasons.

Here's an alternative (copious others are bound to exist):

if find "${DIR}/" -maxdepth 1 -mindepth 1 | head -1 | grep -Eq "^.|^$"
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

The theory here being that the head -1 will cease the pipeline as soon as we discover a single entry, which should save some time in the event the directory has a lot of entries.

The grep -q "^.|^$" just confirms that something (or an empty line) was returned by the preceding commands.

Or...

Another way would be to look at the number of "links" the directory has. Any empty directory has exactly 2; one each for the special . and .. entries.

GNU stat

if stat --printf %h "${DIR}/" | grep -qvFx 2
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

MacOS native stat

if stat -f %l "${DIR}/" | grep -qvFx 2
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

Both of these assume that either the OS or filesystem will block directory hard linking and report two links when empty, if one or more of these are not the case, the find solution would be the better choice.

added 3 characters in body
Source Link
bxm
bxm
  • 5.2k
  • 1
  • 22
  • 26

The comment about not parsing ls is right on the money. However, in this narrow instance the problem you have is to do with quoting.

This should work:

if [ "$(ls -A $DIR)" ]
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

But it's really a bad way to solve the problem, for multiple reasons.

Here's a single alternative (copious others are bound to exist):

if find "${DIR}/" -maxdepth 1 -mindepth 1 | head -1 | grep -Eq "^.|^$"
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

The theory here being that the head -1 will cease the pipeline as soon as we discover a single entry, which should save some time in the event the directory has a lot of entries.

The grep -q "^.|^$" just confirms that something (or an empty line) was returned by the preceding commands.

Or...

Another way would be to look at the number of "links" the directory has. Any empty directory has exactly 2; one each for the special . and .. entries.

GNU stat

if stat --printf %h "${DIR}/" | grep -qvFx 2
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

MacOS native stat

if stat -f %l "${DIR}/" | grep -qvFx 2
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

Both of these assume that either the OS or filesystem will block directory hard linking, if that's not the case, the find solution would be safer.

The comment about not parsing ls is right on the money. However, in this narrow instance the problem you have is to do with quoting.

This should work:

if [ "$(ls -A $DIR)" ]
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

But it's really a bad way to solve the problem, for multiple reasons.

Here's a single alternative (copious others are bound to exist):

if find "${DIR}" -maxdepth 1 -mindepth 1 | head -1 | grep -Eq "^.|^$"
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

The theory here being that the head -1 will cease the pipeline as soon as we discover a single entry, which should save some time in the event the directory has a lot of entries.

The grep -q "^.|^$" just confirms that something (or an empty line) was returned by the preceding commands.

Or...

Another way would be to look at the number of "links" the directory has. Any empty directory has exactly 2; one each for the special . and .. entries.

GNU stat

if stat --printf %h "${DIR}" | grep -qvFx 2
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

MacOS native stat

if stat -f %l "${DIR}" | grep -qvFx 2
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

Both of these assume that either the OS or filesystem will block directory hard linking, if that's not the case, the find solution would be safer.

The comment about not parsing ls is right on the money. However, in this narrow instance the problem you have is to do with quoting.

This should work:

if [ "$(ls -A $DIR)" ]
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

But it's really a bad way to solve the problem, for multiple reasons.

Here's a single alternative (copious others are bound to exist):

if find "${DIR}/" -maxdepth 1 -mindepth 1 | head -1 | grep -Eq "^.|^$"
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

The theory here being that the head -1 will cease the pipeline as soon as we discover a single entry, which should save some time in the event the directory has a lot of entries.

The grep -q "^.|^$" just confirms that something (or an empty line) was returned by the preceding commands.

Or...

Another way would be to look at the number of "links" the directory has. Any empty directory has exactly 2; one each for the special . and .. entries.

GNU stat

if stat --printf %h "${DIR}/" | grep -qvFx 2
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

MacOS native stat

if stat -f %l "${DIR}/" | grep -qvFx 2
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

Both of these assume that either the OS or filesystem will block directory hard linking, if that's not the case, the find solution would be safer.

added 2 characters in body
Source Link
bxm
bxm
  • 5.2k
  • 1
  • 22
  • 26

The comment about not parsing ls is right on the money. However, in this narrow instance the problem you have is to do with quoting.

This should work:

if [ "$(ls -A $DIR)" ]
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

But it's really a bad way to solve the problem, for multiple reasons.

Here's a single alternative (copious others are bound to exist):

if find "${DIR}" -maxdepth 1 -mindepth 1 | head -1 | grep -Eq "^.|^$"
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

The theory here being that the head -1 will cease the pipeline as soon as we discover a single entry, which should save some time in the event the directory has a lot of entries.

The grep -q "^.|^$" just confirms that something or(or an empty line) was returned by the preceding commands.

Or...

Another way would be to look at the number of "links" the directory has. Any empty directory has exactly 2; one each for the special . and .. entries.

GNU stat

if stat --printf %h "${DIR}" | grep -qvFx 2
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

MacOS native stat

if stat -f %l "${DIR}" | grep -qvFx 2
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

Both of these assume that either the OS or filesystem does not permitwill block directory hard linking, if that's not the case, the find solution would be safer.

The comment about not parsing ls is right on the money. However, in this narrow instance the problem you have is to do with quoting.

This should work:

if [ "$(ls -A $DIR)" ]
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

But it's really a bad way to solve the problem, for multiple reasons.

Here's a single alternative (copious others are bound to exist):

if find "${DIR}" -maxdepth 1 -mindepth 1 | head -1 | grep -Eq "^.|^$"
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

The theory here being that the head -1 will cease the pipeline as soon as we discover a single entry, which should save some time in the event the directory has a lot of entries.

The grep -q "^.|^$" just confirms that something or an empty line was returned by the preceding commands.

Or...

Another way would be to look at the number of "links" the directory has. Any empty directory has exactly 2; one each for the special . and .. entries.

GNU stat

if stat --printf %h "${DIR}" | grep -qvFx 2
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

MacOS native stat

if stat -f %l "${DIR}" | grep -qvFx 2
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

Both of these assume that the OS or filesystem does not permit directory hard linking.

The comment about not parsing ls is right on the money. However, in this narrow instance the problem you have is to do with quoting.

This should work:

if [ "$(ls -A $DIR)" ]
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

But it's really a bad way to solve the problem, for multiple reasons.

Here's a single alternative (copious others are bound to exist):

if find "${DIR}" -maxdepth 1 -mindepth 1 | head -1 | grep -Eq "^.|^$"
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

The theory here being that the head -1 will cease the pipeline as soon as we discover a single entry, which should save some time in the event the directory has a lot of entries.

The grep -q "^.|^$" just confirms that something (or an empty line) was returned by the preceding commands.

Or...

Another way would be to look at the number of "links" the directory has. Any empty directory has exactly 2; one each for the special . and .. entries.

GNU stat

if stat --printf %h "${DIR}" | grep -qvFx 2
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

MacOS native stat

if stat -f %l "${DIR}" | grep -qvFx 2
then
        echo 'Folder is not empty'
else
        echo 'Folder is empty'
fi

Both of these assume that either the OS or filesystem will block directory hard linking, if that's not the case, the find solution would be safer.

added 407 characters in body
Source Link
bxm
bxm
  • 5.2k
  • 1
  • 22
  • 26
added 11 characters in body
Source Link
bxm
bxm
  • 5.2k
  • 1
  • 22
  • 26
Source Link
bxm
bxm
  • 5.2k
  • 1
  • 22
  • 26