Question: I was wondering ... there is some operator such as `-f -e -d -s` that I use in bash scripting but how to search for them in manual pages ? what is the command please

example : 

```
if [[ -e file2 ]]; then 
      echo "file2 exists"
fi

```

Answer: 
The command to find the exact list of operators in the bash manual is:

```
$ LESS=+/'^CONDITIONAL EXPRESSIONS' man bash

```

There is an alternative if you are working inside a bash shell:

```
$ help test

```

Both provide the list of operators inside `test`, `[` and `[[`.
Actually `[` is bash builtin nowadays and `[[` a bash syntax element. While the binary `[` from coreutils might be installed as well, as well as `test`, the man page of `test` or `[` describes the behaviour of that binary not the behaviour of the bash builtin.

Use

```
help [

```

or

```
help [[

```

Keep this in mind for other builtins as well. You can obtain the list of builtins using `compgen -b`.

---

One thing, `[` is an alias of the `test` builtin. You get a far more verbose manual when you type `help test` than the one from `help [`. Thanks [choroba](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/37424552/how-to-find-man-page-of-operators-used-in-if-statement-in-bash-scripting/37424669?noredirect=1#comment62354677_37424669)!.