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

The fd command is an alternative to the find command, designed to be faster and easier to use. It allows users to recursively search for files using patterns or regular expressions. Additionally, fd provides options to customize the search, including filtering by file extension, including hidden files, and executing commands on each search result.

Use case 1: Recursively find files matching a specific pattern in the current directory

Code:

fd "string|regex"

Motivation: This use case is helpful when you want to search for files that match a specific pattern or regular expression in the current directory and its subdirectories. It is faster and more convenient than using the find command.

Explanation:

• fd: The command itself.
• "string|regex": The pattern or regular expression you want to search for in the file names.

Example output: If you run fd "test" in a directory that contains the following files:

• file1_test.txt
• file2_test.txt
• file3.txt

The output will be:

file1_test.txt
file2_test.txt

Use case 2: Find files that begin with foo

Code:

fd "^foo"

Motivation: This use case allows you to find files that specifically begin with a certain string. It can be useful when you are looking for files with a specific naming convention or prefix.

Explanation:

• fd: The command itself.
• "^foo": The caret ^ represents the beginning of a line, so this pattern will match file names that start with “foo”.

Example output: If you run fd "^test" in a directory that contains the following files:

• test_file1.txt
• test_file2.txt
• file3.txt

The output will be:

test_file1.txt
test_file2.txt

Use case 3: Find files with a specific extension

Code:

fd --extension txt

Motivation: This use case allows you to search for files with a specific file extension. It can be useful when you want to filter out files of a particular type.

Explanation:

• fd: The command itself.
• --extension txt: The --extension option specifies that you want to filter files by their extension, and txt is the extension you are interested in.

Example output: If you run fd --extension pdf in a directory that contains the following files:

• file1.pdf
• file2.txt
• file3.pdf

The output will be:

file1.pdf
file3.pdf

Use case 4: Find files in a specific directory

Code:

fd "string|regex" path/to/directory

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to search for files in a specific directory, rather than the current directory.

Explanation:

• fd: The command itself.
• "string|regex": The pattern or regular expression you want to search for in the file names.
• path/to/directory: The directory in which you want to perform the search.

Example output: If you run fd "test" /home/user/documents in the /home/user directory, and the /home/user/documents directory contains the following files:

• test_file1.txt
• test_file2.txt
• file3.txt

The output will be:

/home/user/documents/test_file1.txt
/home/user/documents/test_file2.txt

Use case 5: Include ignored and hidden files in the search

Code:

fd --hidden --no-ignore "string|regex"

Motivation: This use case allows you to include ignored and hidden files in the search results. Sometimes, you may have files that are hidden or ignored by default, but you still want to search for them.

Explanation:

• fd: The command itself.
• --hidden: Includes hidden files in the search results.
• --no-ignore: Ignores the ignore rules defined in .gitignore or similar files.
• "string|regex": The pattern or regular expression you want to search for in the file names.

Example output: If you run fd --hidden --no-ignore "test" in a directory that contains the following files:

• .test_file1.txt
• .test_file2.txt
• file3.txt

The output will be:

.test_file1.txt
.test_file2.txt

Use case 6: Execute a command on each search result returned

Code:

fd "string|regex" --exec command

Motivation: This use case allows you to perform additional actions on each search result returned by fd. You can execute commands or scripts to process the files further.

Explanation:

• fd: The command itself.
• "string|regex": The pattern or regular expression you want to search for in the file names.
• --exec: Option to specify the command you want to execute.
• command: The command or script you want to execute on each search result.

Example output: If you run fd "test" --exec wc -l in a directory that contains the following files:

• test_file1.txt with 5 lines
• test_file2.txt with 10 lines
• file3.txt with 3 lines

The output will be:

5 test_file1.txt
10 test_file2.txt

Conclusion:

The fd command is a powerful and user-friendly alternative to the traditional find command. It provides various options and features to customize and enhance file search operations. With its fast performance and intuitive syntax, fd is a valuable tool for developers, sysadmins, and power users alike.