In the world of command line utilities, finding files efficiently has long been a challenge. The traditional Unix find command, while powerful, is notorious for its complex syntax and steep learning curve. Enter fd, a modern alternative that's rapidly gaining popularity among developers and power users for its intuitive syntax, speed, and smart defaults.
A Rust-Powered Renaissance in Command Line Tools
The command line tool ecosystem is experiencing a renaissance, with new Rust-written utilities like fd leading the charge. Created by David Peter (known as sharkdp), fd is part of a growing collection of modern CLI tools that prioritize user experience without sacrificing performance. The Rust programming language provides these tools with memory safety, concurrency, and impressive speed—qualities that make them particularly suitable for file system operations.
Many users in the community have noted that sharkdp is also behind other popular tools like bat (a cat replacement with syntax highlighting), hyperfine (a benchmarking tool), and hexyl (a hex viewer). This collection of tools represents a consistent design philosophy focused on improving everyday developer workflows through better defaults and more intuitive interfaces.
Related Tools by sharkdp
- bat: A cat clone with syntax highlighting
- hyperfine: A command-line benchmarking tool
- hexyl: A command-line hex viewer
- numbat: A scientific calculator
Smart Defaults That Actually Make Sense
One of the most appreciated aspects of fd is its thoughtful default behavior. Unlike find, which searches everything indiscriminately, fd automatically ignores hidden directories, files in .gitignore, and version control directories. This means search results are immediately more relevant for most use cases.
Big sharkdp fan. Thank you for making awesome software that i use DAILY. bat, fd, hexyl, hyperfine... I'm going to take this moment to remind all of you well-paid engineers that if we each spread $10 a month sponsoring talented software makers like sharkdp the Internet would be a better place.
The tool also features smart case sensitivity—searching case-insensitively by default but switching to case-sensitive if the pattern contains an uppercase character. These decisions reflect a deep understanding of how developers actually work with files on a daily basis.
Key Features of fd
- Intuitive syntax:
fd PATTERNinstead offind . -name "*PATTERN*" - Regular expression-based search (by default)
- Fast due to parallel directory traversal
- Uses colors to highlight different file types (similar to ls)
- Smart case: Searches case-insensitively by default
- Ignores hidden directories and files by default
- Ignores .gitignore by default
- Command execution after search results
- Written in Rust
Performance Through Parallelism
Beyond its user-friendly interface, fd leverages Rust's concurrency capabilities to perform parallel directory traversal. This approach significantly speeds up searches, especially on modern multi-core systems and fast storage like NVMe SSDs. Users report dramatic performance improvements compared to traditional tools, with some benchmarks showing fd completing searches in seconds that would take find nearly a minute.
The performance advantage becomes particularly noticeable when working with large codebases or media collections. Additionally, the tool's ability to execute commands on search results in parallel (via the -x or -X flags) further enhances productivity when performing batch operations.
Complementing an Ecosystem of Modern Tools
fd doesn't exist in isolation—it's part of a growing ecosystem of modern command line tools that work well together. Many users pair fd with tools like ripgrep (for content searching), fzf (for fuzzy finding), and bat (for file viewing). These tools share similar design philosophies and often complement each other in complex workflows.
The community has embraced these tools through various integration points, including Terminal Trove, a collection that showcases modern terminal utilities. This ecosystem approach means that adopting fd often leads users to discover other tools that can further enhance their productivity.
Common fd Commands
- Simple search:
fd pattern - Case-sensitive search:
fd -s pattern - Include hidden files:
fd -H pattern - Search full path:
fd -p pattern - Execute command on results:
fd pattern -x command {} - Search by extension:
fd -e jpg - Use glob pattern:
fd -g "*.jpg"
Balancing Simplicity with Power
While fd prioritizes simplicity for common use cases, it doesn't sacrifice power for advanced scenarios. The tool supports regular expressions, file type filtering, and command execution capabilities that rival or exceed those of traditional find. This balance allows new users to get started quickly while giving experienced users the flexibility they need.
Some users have noted that while fd doesn't implement every feature of find, it covers the vast majority of everyday use cases with a much gentler learning curve. For the occasional edge case where fd isn't sufficient, traditional tools remain available—creating a pragmatic coexistence rather than a forced replacement.
The rise of tools like fd represents a shift in command line philosophy—one that values user experience and sensible defaults while maintaining the power and flexibility that command line users expect. As more developers discover these modern alternatives, we're likely to see continued innovation in this space, further improving the tools we use every day.
Reference: fd