diff --git a/scripts/cli.sh b/scripts/cli.sh
index 0ac66a4ff2..69ed074d23 100755
--- a/scripts/cli.sh
+++ b/scripts/cli.sh
@@ -55,6 +55,60 @@ write_to_file "$am_cli" "$am" "Account Manager"
 old_files=(./book/src/help_general.md ./book/src/help_bn.md ./book/src/help_vc.md ./book/src/help_am.md)
 new_files=($general $bn $vc $am)
 
+exist=()
+changes=()
+check() {
+if [[ -f $1 ]]; # check for existence of file
+then
+    diff=$(diff $1 $2)
+    exist+=(false)
+else
+    cp $2 ./book/src
+    exist+=(true)
+fi
+
+if [[ -z $diff ]]; # check for difference
+then
+    changes+=(false)
+    return 1 # exit a function (i.e., do nothing)
+else
+    cp $2 ./book/src
+    changes+=(true)
+fi
+}
+
+# define changes as false
+# changes=false
+# call check function to check for each help file
+check ${old_files[0]} ${new_files[0]}
+check ${old_files[1]} ${new_files[1]}
+check ${old_files[2]} ${new_files[2]}
+check ${old_files[3]} ${new_files[3]}
+#check ${old_files[4]} ${new_files[4]}
+
+# remove help files
+rm -f help_general.md help_bn.md help_vc.md help_am.md
+
+echo "${exist[@]}"
+echo "${changes[@]}"
+
+if [[ ${exist[@]} == *"true"* && ${update[@]} == *"true"* ]];
+then
+    echo "exit 1 due to one or more .md file does not exist and changes updated."
+    exit 1
+elif [[  ${exist[@]} == *"true"* ]];
+then
+    echo "exit 1 due to one or more .md file does not exist"
+    exit 1
+elif [[ ${update[@]} == *"true"* ]];
+then
+    echo "exit 1 due to changes updated"
+    exit 1
+else
+    echo "Task completed, no changes in CLI parameters"
+fi
+
+: '
 check() {
 if [[ -f $1 ]]; # check for existence of file
 then 
@@ -92,4 +146,5 @@ if [[ $changes == true ]]; then
 else
     echo "CLI parameters are up to date."
     exit 0
-fi
\ No newline at end of file
+fi
+'
\ No newline at end of file