Conditional (IF) test in bash sh script - presence of first parameter

[Critcho]

I have devices that I have to FTP to and copy log files from. The log files have 3 generations, that typically roll over every few days. i.e. if I pulled the files down yesterday, I dont want all 3 generations; if it's been a while, I do.

So I have made a script, I expected to be able to pass it a parameter to decide which files to bring down, but it isn't working.

e.g. ". GetLogFiles.sh" will get just the latest generation, ". GetLogFiles.sh a" will get all.

My script looks something like

#!/bin/sh

HOST='1.2.3.4'
USER='user1'
PASS='password'
FTP='/usr/bin/ftp'
Today="`date +%y%m%d`"

        CMD1='get //var//log//messages SiteName_'$Today'.messages.log'
        CMD2='get //var//log//messages.0 SiteName_'$Today'.messages.0.log'
        CMD3='get //var//log//messages.1 SiteName_'$Today'.messages.1.log'

        if [ "$1"!="a" ]; then
                echo "Only copying messages, not messages.0 or messages.1"
                CMD2=''
                CMD3=''
        fi

$FTP -n -v $HOST << END_S

quote USER $USER
quote PASS $PASS

hash

$CMD1
$CMD2
$CMD3

END_S

I tired a few variants of

    if [ "$1"!="a" ]; then
    if [ $1!="a" ]; then
    if ![ $1=="a" ]; then

etc to no avail. At the moment it grabs all files.

Any clues?
Thanks!
Critcho.

[Critcho]

Question was answered on another forum, reposted here to help anyone else who has the same problem:

I needed spaces either side of my condition:

if [ "$1" != "a" ]; then

now it works... Painfully simply but elusive...!

[smolloy]

Glad you got it fixed -- it was torturing me!!!

Welcome to the forums!