Скачать или смотреть How to Join the Output of Two Commands When Using find -exec

Discover how to effectively combine the outputs of `stat` and `du -k` commands in a single line using the `find -exec` command. Learn step-by-step instructions for a seamless experience!
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How to Join the Output of Two Commands When Using find -exec

When working with shell commands in a Unix-like environment, you may find yourself needing to combine outputs from multiple commands to create a comprehensive report. For instance, you might want to capture the output from the stat command – which gives you file status information – and the du -k command for file size in kilobytes. This combination can be particularly useful when you are dealing with a large number of files and want to analyze data effectively.

This post will guide you through the process of executing multiple commands using the find -exec function and how to combine their outputs into a single output format.

The Problem

You have a command that looks something like this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Here, you are gathering file information using stat, but now you want to append the file size information from the du -k command immediately after the result from stat.

When attempting to do this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

You notice that it calls the du -k command alone, ignoring the stat command entirely.

The Solution

To achieve your goal of combining the outputs of both commands, you'll need to execute a single shell session that runs both commands sequentially. Here’s how you can do that:

Final Command for Output Combination

Use the following command:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Breakdown of the Command

Use of -exec sh -c:

This invokes a new shell where you can run multiple commands. The sh -c allows you to execute a script in the shell.

Dummy Variable with _:

The first argument after sh -c is used as $0, which is often not used in the script context. Therefore, a dummy value _ is applied here.

-exec ... {} + :

This construct allows the find command to pass as many matched files to the shell command as possible, enhancing performance by reducing the number of times the shell is invoked.

Loop Through Files:

The loop for f; do ...; done processes each file passed to the shell by the find command.

Combining stat and du -k:

The command constructs a formatted string that includes file status information along with the file size information fetched from du -k.

Single File Assumption:

This command assumes du -k will receive a single file as an argument to avoid any potential complications with directories or multiple files.

Example of Desired Output

With the command executed correctly, an example output for a file might look like this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This reflects the file name, timestamps, and its size, all in one line.

Conclusion

Combining the outputs of multiple commands in a shell environment can seem tricky, but with the use of find -exec, sh -c, and proper iteration, you can achieve your goals efficiently. This method not only consolidates command outputs into a structured format but also optimizes command execution for better performance.

Now you can easily gather comprehensive file information and streamline your data analysis!