How to use the command 'ditto' (with examples)

The ‘ditto’ command is used to copy files and directories in macOS. It provides a variety of options to control the behavior of the copying process, such as overwriting contents, printing progress, and preserving file permissions.

Use case 1: Overwrite contents of destination directory with contents of source directory

Code:

ditto path/to/source_directory path/to/destination_directory

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to replace the contents of a destination directory with the contents of a source directory. It is commonly used when updating or synchronizing directories.

Explanation:

• ‘ditto’: The command to copy files and directories.
• ‘path/to/source_directory’: The path to the source directory containing the files and directories to be copied.
• ‘path/to/destination_directory’: The path to the destination directory where the files and directories will be copied to. The contents of the destination directory will be overwritten.

Example output:

Copy complete.

Use case 2: Print a line to the Terminal window for every file that’s being copied

Code:

ditto -V path/to/source_directory path/to/destination_directory

Motivation: When copying a large number of files, it can be helpful to have visual feedback to track the progress and ensure that all files are being copied correctly. The ‘-V’ option allows you to see a line printed to the Terminal window for every file that is being copied.

Explanation:

• ‘-V’: The option to enable verbose output, which prints a line to the Terminal window for every file that is being copied.
• ‘path/to/source_directory’: The path to the source directory containing the files and directories to be copied.
• ‘path/to/destination_directory’: The path to the destination directory where the files and directories will be copied to.

Example output:

Copying path/to/source_directory/file1.txt
Copying path/to/source_directory/file2.txt
...
Copy complete.

Use case 3: Copy a given file or directory, while retaining the original file permissions

Code:

ditto -rsrc path/to/source_directory path/to/destination_directory

Motivation: In some cases, it is important to preserve the original file permissions when copying files or directories. The ‘-rsrc’ option ensures that the permissions of the original files are retained in the copied files.

Explanation:

• ‘-rsrc’: The option to preserve the original file or directory permissions when copying.
• ‘path/to/source_directory’: The path to the source directory or file to be copied.
• ‘path/to/destination_directory’: The path to the destination directory where the file or directory will be copied to.

Example output:

Copy complete.```

## Conclusion:

The 'ditto' command is a versatile tool for copying files and directories in macOS. It allows you to overwrite destination directories, print progress messages, and preserve file permissions. By understanding the options and use cases of this command, you can efficiently manage file copying tasks on your macOS system.