Getting user to authenticate the password

Question

I'm trying to write a sh coding to get the user to authenticate the password by comparing the user input to the first 32 characters of a file. So basically if the password is correct it would run TaskMenu.csh if its wrong the program would exit.

#!/bin/sh
clear
echo -e " Please Enter the Password to access the TaskMenu:"
read PW
if (! -e "$PASSWORD.txt")
then
        echo -n "The file doesn't exist"
        echo kil
        exit
else
        ...(i have no clue what to do)...

Please help

Answer 1

if [ "$PW" = $(cat "$PASSWORD.txt | head -c 32) ]
then
    ./TaskMenu.csh
else
    echo Authentication failed.
    exit 3
fi

Run with bash -x, or add set -x to the top of your source to see what strings are being passed around.