Hi All, I'm brand new at doing anything linux and would like feedback on this script I'm trying to understand from an example I'm working on.. Oh, running Centos 5.6 Anyhow, I run this bash script: #!/bin/bash # send data to the table in the MySQL database MYSQL='which mysql' if [ $# -ne 4 ] then echo "Usage: mtest4 empid lastname firstname salary" else statement="insert into employees values ($1, '$2','$3', $4)" $MYSQL test << EOF $statement EOF If [ $? -eq 0 ] then echo "Data successfully added" else echo "Problem adding data" fi fi and here is the error I get: [Bobster at localhost ~]$ ./mtest4 5 Johnson John 120000 ./mtest4: line 15: syntax error near unexpected token `then' ./mtest4: line 15: ` then' Thanks in advance for any inputs. Bobster