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---
title: Operating the Z-Shell
aliases:
- /posts/2020-11-15-operating-the-z-shell
- /posts/2020-11-14-operating-the-z-shell
categories: [computerstuff]
tags: [zsh-shell]
date: 2020-11-15T00:35:22+01:00
---
This article is a summary of
[reasoniamhere.com/.../outrageously-useful-tips-to-master-your-z-shell/][1].
The original article is from 2014 and the pages last entry is from 2015. In case
the website goes down I want the important bits saved for my reading and learning
pleasure :wink:
<!--more-->
{{< alert circle-info >}}
_None of the following commands on this page are my own._
{{< /alert >}}
[1]: https://reasoniamhere.com/2014/01/11/outrageously-useful-tips-to-master-your-z-shell/
## File picking
```zsh
# list every file directly below the Sites folder
ls Sites
# list every file in the folders directly below the Sites folder
ls Sites/*
# list every file in every folder two levels below the Sites folder
ls Sites/*/*
# list every file anywhere below the Sites folder
ls Sites/**/*
# list every file that ends in .txt in every folder at any level below the Sites folder
ls Sites/**/*.txt
```
## Glob operators
```zsh
# list text files that end in a number from 1 to 10
ls -l Sites/**/*<1-10>.txt
# list text files that start with the letter a
ls -l Sites/**/[a]*.txt
# list text files that start with either ab or bc
ls -l Sites/**/(ab|bc)*.txt
# list text files that don't start with a lower or uppercase c
ls -l Sites/**/[^cC]*.txt
```
## Glob qualifiers
```zsh
# show only directories
print -l Sites/**/*(/)
# show only regular files
print -l Sites/**/*(.)
# show empty files
ls -l Sites/**/*(L0)
# show files greater than 3 KB
ls -l Sites/**/*(Lk+3)
# show files modified in the last hour
print -l Sites/**/*(mh-1)
# sort files from most to least recently modified and show the last 3
ls -l Sites/**/*(om[1,3])
```
```zsh
ls -l Sites/**/*(.Lm-2mh-1om[1,3])
# you won't typically write at this level of obfuscation
ls -l Sites/**/*(. Lm-2 mh-1 om [1,3])
# this is more parseable, but unfortunately Zsh doesn't allow spaces
# between qualifiers, so you'll get an error
```
[Read more](http://zsh.sourceforge.net/Doc/Release/Expansion.html#Filename-Generation)
in section 14.8.7 of the manual.
## Modifiers
Modifiers are preceded with a colon (`:`).
```zsh
# A plain old glob
print -l Sites/website/images/gif/*.txt
# Return the file name (t stands for tail)
print -l Sites/website/images/gif/*.txt(:t)
# Return the file name without the extension (r stands for remove_extension, I think)
print -l Sites/website/images/gif/*.txt(:t:r)
# Return the extension
print -l Sites/website/images/gif/*.txt(:e)
# Return the parent folder of the file (h stands for head)
print -l Sites/website/images/gif/*.txt(:h)
# Return the parent folder of the parent
print -l Sites/website/images/gif/*.txt(:h:h)
# Return the parent folder of the first file
print -l Sites/website/images/gif/*.txt([1]:h)
# Remember you can combine qualifiers and modifiers.
```