How to Use ffind — Quick File Search Tips

How to Use ffind — Quick File Search Tipsffind is a compact, speedy utility designed to help you locate files and directories quickly from the command line. Whether you’re a developer navigating large codebases, a sysadmin managing many servers, or a casual user searching through documents, ffind aims to make file searching more efficient and pleasant. This guide covers installation, basic usage, filtering, advanced options, performance tips, integration with shells and editors, and troubleshooting.

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What is ffind?

ffind is a command-line file search tool focused on speed and simplicity. It performs recursive searches through directories, offering fast name-based matching and useful filters so you can narrow results quickly. It’s conceptually similar to tools like find, fd, and ripgrep’s file-matching features, but with its own syntax and optimizations.

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Installation

Installation methods depend on your platform. Typical options include:

• macOS (Homebrew):

  
  brew install ffind 

• Linux (package manager or prebuilt binary):
  • Debian/Ubuntu:

    
    sudo apt install ffind 

    (If not available in repositories, download a prebuilt binary or use a package from the project releases.)

  • Fedora:

    
    sudo dnf install ffind 

• Windows:
  • Use scoop or choco if provided:

    
    scoop install ffind 

    or

    
    choco install ffind 

  • Alternatively, download the executable from the releases page.

If you compile from source, typical steps:

git clone https://example.com/ffind.git cd ffind make sudo make install 

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Basic Usage

Run ffind followed by a search pattern and (optionally) a path:

ffind pattern [path] 

Examples:

• Search current directory for files containing “config”:

  
  ffind config 

• Search a specific directory:

  
  ffind api src/ 

• Exact filename match (if supported via quotes or a specific flag):

  
  ffind "^Dockerfile$" 

ffind usually performs case-insensitive matching by default for convenience; check flags to change that behavior.

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Common Flags and Options

While flags vary by implementation, ffind typically supports:

• -i or –ignore-case: case-insensitive search
• -r or –regex: treat pattern as a regular expression
• -d or –max-depth : limit recursion depth
• -t or –type : filter by file (f) or directory (d)
• -e or –extension : filter by file extension
• -s or –size : filter by size (e.g., +1M, -100K)
• -m or –modified : filter by modification time (e.g., -7d)
• -n or –name-only: print only filenames, not paths
• -H or –hidden: include hidden files and directories
• -x or –exclude : exclude matches by pattern
• -j or –jobs : run searches in parallel for large trees

Example: find all JavaScript files under 3 levels modified in the last 7 days:

ffind --extension js --max-depth 3 --modified -7d 

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Pattern Matching Tips

• Use simple substrings for fast matches: ffind is optimized for literal substring searches.
• Use regex mode for complex patterns: anchors (^, $), character classes, and grouping.
• Quoting patterns prevents shell expansion: use single quotes for regexes with backslashes.

Examples:

ffind 'test_.*.py'        # regex: files starting with test_ and ending with .py ffind README               # substring match for README files ffind --ignore-case todo   # finds TODO, todo, ToDo, etc. 

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Filtering and Combining Criteria

Combine multiple options to narrow results precisely:

• By file type and extension:

  
  ffind --type f --extension md 

• Excluding directories like node_modules:

  
  ffind --exclude 'node_modules' --extension ts 

• By size and date:

  
  ffind --size +1M --modified -30d 

Some implementations support logical operators or multiple –exclude flags for fine-grained control.

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Performance Tips

• Limit search scope with a path or –max-depth to avoid scanning entire filesystems.
• Exclude common large directories (node_modules, .git, build) to speed searches:

  
  ffind --exclude 'node_modules' --exclude '.git' pattern 

• Use literal substring search when possible; regex is slower.
• Increase –jobs if you have many CPU cores and a fast storage device.
• Prebuild an index (if ffind supports it) for repeated queries across large trees.

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Integration with Shells and Editors

• Shell fuzzy finder (fzf): pipe ffind into fzf for interactive selection:

  
  ffind pattern | fzf 

• Integration with Vim/Neovim:
  • Use ffind as a file picker in plugins or map a custom command:

    
    :!ffind pattern | xargs -I{} vim {} 

• Use in scripts:

  
  files=$(ffind --extension log --modified -1d) for f in $files; do gzip "$f" done 

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Examples and Use Cases

• Quickly open a config file:

  
  vim $(ffind nginx.conf) 

• Find large media files older than a year:

  
  ffind --extension mp4 --size +100M --modified +365d 

• Clean build artifacts:

  
  ffind --exclude 'src' --extension o --type f | xargs rm 

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Troubleshooting

• “Permission denied” errors: run with sudo if searching system directories or restrict starting path.
• Missing files: verify case-sensitivity and whether hidden files are included.
• Slow searches: add –exclude flags, use max-depth, or enable indexing if available.

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Alternatives and When to Use Them

ffind is great for quick, on-the-fly filename searches. Consider alternatives when you need:

• Content search inside files: ripgrep (rg)
• Powerful file-finding with advanced options: fd
• POSIX-compatible, feature-rich traversal: find

Tool	Best for
ffind	Fast filename searches, simple filters
rg (ripgrep)	Fast content searches inside files
fd	Feature-rich, user-friendly file finding
find	Complex filesystem queries, POSIX scripts

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Conclusion

ffind shines when you need fast, straightforward filename searches with pragmatic filters and easy shell integration. Use substring searches and excludes for speed, combine flags to refine results, and pipe into tools like fzf or editors for a fluid workflow. Adjust flags and options to match your environment and tasks for the best experience.