[ALUG] How to check a directory is empty (probably in bash)?

[(Ted Harding)]

On 21-Feb-07 Paul wrote:
> On Wednesday 21 February 2007 11:42, Eur Ing Chris Green wrote:
>> What's the simplest (and/or most concise) way to check for an empty
>> directory?
> 
> if test -z `ls foo` ; then wibble ; fi
> 
>  Or
> 
> if [ -z `ls foo` ] ; then wibble ; fi
> 
> There's probably other ways....
> 
> Regards, Paul.

NB: `ls foo` will not detect filenames in foo that begin with "."

Hence my suggestion using "ls -la"; but this then outputs the
"." for current, and ".." for parent directories, regardless
of whether "foo" is empty (and also a first line which gives
the "total"). Hence the test for "-eq 3".

Ted.

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Date: 21-Feb-07                                       Time: 13:00:54
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