calling perl script from shell script

[shilpam]

I need to execute a perl script from a shell script. If it is success, I need to do a few more things else on error it should exit the shell script with an error code. My problem is not with running the perl script or getting the status code but the if-then-else part of the script. No matter what, it goes into the else part and prints "failure". Is the syntax of if-then-else ok? I am pasting the code below.

#!/usr/bin/sh
cd go_to_dir_where_perl_program_exists
/usr/bin/perl perlscript.pl
echo "Status String is $?"
if( $? -eq 0)
then echo "success"
# do some more stuff
else
echo "failure"
# do some more stuff

[pelagic]

Is this code complete or did you just forget the fi?
Do a simple test like

/usr/bin/perl perlscript.pl
ret=$?
echo "Status String is $?"
if [ $ret -eq 0 ]
then
  echo "case A"
else
  echo "case B"
fi


pelagic
update
Your are testing the $? of the echo stmt ... ;))

[shilpam]

I tried the piece of code you have posted, but it gives me error:
./new_script.sh: ret: not found
Status String is 1
./new_script.sh: test: argument expected


Then I declared ret as $ret=$?, then I got another error:
./new_script.sh: =0: not found
Status String is 1
./new_script.sh: test: argument expected

[Fletch]

Probably because you've got ret = $? or some other variant with spaces around the =. And the second is just plain wrong, as the $ is for interpolating in shell not a universal variable prefix. At any rate, it's not a perl problem; you need to look into something like Learning the bash Shell (ISBN 1565923472) or the Z shell intro.

[pelagic]

Exactly what shell are you using? I run it on solaris, having used following code

#!/usr/bin/sh
echo /usr/bin/perl perlscript.pl
ret=$?
echo "Status String is $?"
if [ $ret -eq 0 ]
then
  echo "case A"
else
  echo "case B"
fi

and it gave me

Status String is 0
case A


pelagic

[redlemon]

apart from forgetting a fi, your using the wrong braces: (something) calls "something" in a subshell, which always returns true. The syntax you're looking for is:

if  test $? -eq 0
then
else
fi

or alternatively

if [  $? -eq 0 ]
then
else
fi

Use square braces in stead of round ones. finally, it might be easier to use:

cd go_to_dir_where_perl_program_exists  &&
if   /usr/bin/perl perlscript.pl
   then echo "success"
   # do some more stuff
else
  echo "failure"
  # do some more stuff
fi

[Plankton]

shilpam,

You might find this node helpful.