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Linux Show The File Sort By File Name Length

4 min read Oct 12, 2024
Linux Show The File Sort By File Name Length

How to Display Files Sorted by File Name Length in Linux?

In Linux, you often need to navigate through a directory containing various files. Sometimes, you might want to see files sorted by their file name length, especially when dealing with a directory with many files with varying lengths.

This article will guide you through the process of listing files sorted by their filename length in Linux.

Understanding the ls Command

The ls command is a fundamental command-line utility in Linux used to list directory contents. It has various options to customize the output. We'll leverage these options to sort files by name length.

Sorting by Name Length with ls and sort

To achieve our goal, we'll combine the ls command with the sort command. Here's a breakdown of the steps involved:

  1. List the files: The ls command will list the files in the current directory.
  2. Pipe the output: We'll use the pipe operator (|) to send the output of ls to the sort command.
  3. Sort by length: The sort command will be used to sort the output by the length of each filename.

Example:

ls -1 | sort -k 1 -n

Let's break down the commands:

  • ls -1: Lists files one per line.
  • |: Pipes the output of ls to the sort command.
  • sort -k 1 -n: Sorts the output based on the first column (-k 1) numerically (-n). Since ls -1 lists files one per line, the first column represents the filename.

Visual Example:

Imagine a directory with these files:

  • file1.txt
  • very_long_filename.txt
  • file2.txt
  • file3.txt

Running the command ls -1 | sort -k 1 -n would produce this output:

file1.txt
file2.txt
file3.txt
very_long_filename.txt

The files are now displayed in ascending order of their filename length.

Tips and Additional Options

  • Descending Order: To display files sorted by file name length in descending order, you can use the -r option with sort:
    ls -1 | sort -k 1 -nr
  • Ignoring Hidden Files: To avoid listing hidden files (files starting with a dot), use the -a option with ls:
    ls -a -1 | sort -k 1 -n
  • Specific Directory: To sort files in a specific directory, provide the directory path to ls:
    ls /path/to/directory/ -1 | sort -k 1 -n

Conclusion

This method effectively lists files sorted by their filename length in Linux using the ls and sort commands. By understanding these commands and their options, you can efficiently navigate directories and analyze file information based on name length.

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