writing and executing a basic shell script that uses an `if` statement.
This script will check if a given
number is positive, negative, or zero.
#!/bin/bash
# Prompt user to enter a number
echo "Enter a number: "
read number
# Check if the number is positive, negative, or zero
if [ "$number" -gt 0 ]; then
echo "The number is positive."
elif [ "$number" -lt 0 ]; then
echo "The number is negative."
else
echo "The number is zero."
fi
```
### Explanation:
1. **Shebang (`#!/bin/bash`)**: Indicates that the script should be executed using the Bash shell.
2. **Prompt and Read Input**:
- `echo "Enter a number: "` prompts the user to input a number.
- `read number` reads the user input and stores it in the variable `number`.
3. **If Statement**:
- `[ "$number" -gt 0 ]`: Checks if the number is greater than 0 (positive).
- `[ "$number" -lt 0 ]`: Checks if the number is less than 0 (negative).
- `else`: Covers the case where the number is zero.
4. **Output**:
- Depending on the condition, it prints whether the number is positive, negative, or zero.
### Steps to Execute the Script:
1. **Create the Script**:
- Use a text editor to create the script file. For example, using `nano`:
```sh
nano check_number.sh
```
- Paste the script into the editor and save the file (`Ctrl + X`, then `Y`, then `Enter`).
2. **Make the Script Executable**:
- Change the file permissions to make it executable:
```sh
chmod +x check_number.sh
```
3. **Run the Script**:
- Execute the script by typing:
```sh
./check_number.sh
```
- You will be prompted to enter a number, and the script will output whether the number is positive,
negative, or zero based on the conditions defined in the `if` statement.
Here's how the script might look when executed:
```sh
$ ./check_number.sh
Enter a number:
The number is positive.
```
or
```sh
$ ./check_number.sh
Enter a number:
-3
The number is negative.
```
or
```sh
$ ./check_number.sh
Enter a number:
The number is zero.
```
Feel free to modify the script for more complex conditions or additional functionality as needed!
