Re: Testing for broken symlinks

[Peter Stephenson <pws@xxxxxxx>]

"Eric Mangold" wrote:
> Is there any way to test if a symlink is broken?

This will work:

  broken=(mylinktest(N-@))

  if (( ${#broken} )); then
    print mylinktest is a broken symbolic link
  else
    print mylinktest is not a symbolic link or is not broken
  fi

The basic point is that the command line argument mylinktest(N-@) is
removed unless mylinktest is a broken symbolic link, so you may have a
more efficient way to use the fact.

This works because - makes the shell follow symbolic links, while @
tells it to look only for symbolic links.  The only files that are
still resolved as symbolic links are those that are broken.  The N flag
then removes any failed glob, i.e. those not broken symbolic links.

-- 
Peter Stephenson <pws@xxxxxxx>                  Software Engineer
CSR PLC, Churchill House, Cambridge Business Park, Cowley Road
Cambridge, CB4 0WZ, UK                          Tel: +44 (0)1223 692070


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