Linux / UNIX: Check If File Is Empty Or Not Using Shell Script

How do I check if file is empty or not using bash or ksh shell script under UNIX / Linux / OS X / BSD operating systems?

You can use the find command as follows. The -s option to the test builtin check to see if FILE exists and has a size greater than zero. It returns true and false values to indicate that file is empty or has some data.

touch /tmp/file1
ls -l /tmp/file1
find /tmp -empty -name file1

Sample outputs:

/tmp/file1

Now create another file with some data in it:

echo "data" > /tmp/file2
ls -l /tmp/file2
find /tmp -empty -name file2

You should not see any output.

Shell -s option

However, use can pass -s option as follows in script or shell prompt:

touch /tmp/f1
echo "data" >/tmp/f2
ls -l /tmp/f{1,2}
[ -s /tmp/f1 ]
echo $?

Sample outputs:

The non zero output indicate that file is empty.

[ -s /tmp/f2 ]
echo $?

Sample outputs:

The zero output indicate that file is not empty. So you can write a shell script as follows:

Shell Script To Check If File Is Empty OR Not

#!/bin/bash
_file="$1"
[ $# -eq 0 ] && { echo "Usage: $0 filename"; exit 1; }
[ ! -f "$_file" ] && { echo "Error: $0 file not found."; exit 2; }
 
if [ -s "$_file" ]
then
	echo "$_file has some data."
        # do something as file has data
else
	echo "$_file is empty."
        # do something as file is empty 
fi

Run it as follows:
chmod +x script.sh ./script.sh /etc/resolv.conf
Sample outputs:

/etc/resolv.conf has some data.

Run it on an empty file:
touch /tmp/test.txt ./script.sh /tmp/test.txt
Sample outputs:

test.txt is empty.

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#!/bin/bash [ $# -eq 0 ] && { echo "Usage: $0 file1 file2 fileN"; exit 1; } for _file in $@ do [ ! -f "$_file" ] && { echo "Error: $_file file not found."; continue; } if [ -s "$_file" ] then echo "$_file has some data." # do something as file has data else echo "$_file is empty." # do something as file is empty fi done

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

1 raj March 14, 2012 at 4:57 pm

Very helpful …

2 Vivan April 27, 2012 at 12:56 pm

What if you there might be multiple files exist? ex:

file1, file2, file3

if [ -s "$file*" ] or if [-s file*]
do not work
any suggestions?

Thanks
Vivian

3 Vivek Gite July 9, 2012 at 8:14 pm

@Vivan

You need to edit the script:

4 gof September 26, 2012 at 12:44 pm

How do send emails on the sample outputs in linux as a crontab

Linux / UNIX: Check If File Is Empty Or Not Using Shell Script

Shell -s option

Shell Script To Check If File Is Empty OR Not

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