test for a pattern in sh?

[stan]

I need to do something like this:

if $VAR does not contain SV do something

I found some examples for patterm`n matching with case, but I'd reaher use
an if here, if I can do pattern matching with it.

Is this possible?

-- 
One of the main causes of the fall of the roman empire was that, lacking
zero, they had no way to indicate successful termination of their C
programs.