i don't know if my shell script is correct - bash

Question

I have a homework using for loop but I'm not quite understand the task that I have to do in there. I wrote a script but I feel like it's not a correct script. Please help!
Here is the question:
Write a shell script to list out the contents of any directory, and indicate for each file (including invisible ones) whether the file is a directory, a plain file, and whether it is public and/or executable to this process
#!/bin/bash
if [ $# -lt 1 ] ; then
echo " file doesn't exist"
echo
echo " variable needed to run a command"
fi
echo ---------------------------------------------
echo ---------------------------------------------
for i in $*
do
if [ -f $i ]; then
echo " it's a file";
echo "THIS IS A LIST OF FILE and DIRECTORY in $i"
ls -a $i
fi
done
echo -----------------------------------------
if [ -d $i ]; then
echo "directory" ;
echo "THIS IS A LIST OF FILES AND DIRETORY in $i"
ls -a $i
fi
echo ------------------------------------------
if [ -x $i ]; then
echo "executable"
echo "THIS IS A LIST OF EXECUTABLE FILE IN $i"
ls -x $i
fi
echo -----------------------------------------
if [ -r $i ]; then
echo "this file is a public file"
else "this is a private file"
fi
#!/bin/bash
if [ $# -lt 1 ] ; then
echo " file doesn't exist"
echo
echo " variable needed to run a command"
fi
echo ---------------------------------------------
echo ---------------------------------------------
for i in $*
do
if [ -f $i ]; then
echo " it's a file";
echo "THIS IS A LIST OF FILE and DIRECTORY in $i"
ls -a $i
fi
done
echo -----------------------------------------
if [ -d $i ]; then
echo "directory" ;
echo "THIS IS A LIST OF FILES AND DIRETORY in $i"
ls -a $i
fi
echo ------------------------------------------
if [ -x $i ]; then
echo "executable"
echo "THIS IS A LIST OF EXECUTABLE FILE IN $i"
ls -x $i
fi
echo -----------------------------------------
if [ -r $i ]; then
echo "this file is a public file"
else "this is a private file"
fi

Answer 1

Poorly written specifications are the bane of education. "Public" sounds like the wrong word here. I'll assume it means "readable".
You check if there's an argument, but you don't exit the program if there is not. I'd also confirm it's a directory, and readable.
The manual will do you a lot of good. Expect to do a lot of reading till you learn this stuff, and then reference it a lot to be sure.
Read this section carefully, create some tests for yourself to prove they work and that you understand them, and your job will be more than half done.
Don't use [. Generally it's just better to always use [[ instead, unless you are using (( or case or some other construct.
I don't see that a for loop was specified, but it ought to be fine. Just be aware that you might have to specify $1/* and $1/.* separately.
Put all your tests in one loop, though. For each file, test for whether it's a directory - if it is, report it. Test if it's a plain file - if it is, report it.
I do NOT like doing homework for someone, but it looks like you could use an example that simplifies this. I recommend you not use this as written - break it out and make it clearer, but this is a template for the general logic.
#! /bin/env bash
(( $# )) && [[ -d "$1" ]] && [[ -r "$1" ]] || {
echo "use: $0 <dir>" >&2
exit 1
}
for e in "$1"/.* "$1"/*
do echo "$e:"
[[ -d "$e" ]] && echo " is a directory"
[[ -f "$e" ]] && echo " is a plain file"
[[ -r "$e" ]] && echo " is readable"
[[ -x "$e" ]] && echo " is executable"
done
If you read the links I provided you should be able to break this apart and understand it.
Generally, your script is long and a bit convoluted. Simpler is easier to understand and maintain. For example, be very careful about block indentation to understand scope.
$: for i in 1 2 3
> do echo $i
> done
1
2
3
$: echo $i
3
Compare this to -
for i in $*
do if [ -f $i ]; then
echo " it's a file";
echo "THIS IS A LIST OF FILE and DIRECTORY in $i"
ls -a $i
fi
done
echo -----------------------------------------
if [ -d $i ]; then
echo "directory" ;
echo "THIS IS A LIST OF FILES AND DIRETORY in $i"
ls -a $i
fi
You are testing each entry to see if it is a file, and if it is, reporting "THIS IS A LIST OF FILE and DIRECTORY in $i" every time...
but then only testing the last one to see if it's a directory, because the [ -d $i ] is after the done.
...did you run this somewhere to try it, and look at the results?