tree Command: Navigating Directory Structures

December 11, 2023

Command Overview

tree -I tmp -C

tree: This is a command-line utility that displays the contents of a directory in a tree-like format.
-I tmp: This option is used to exclude a specific pattern or directory from the tree view. In this case, it excludes any directories or files with the name "tmp."
-C: This option is used to colorize the output, making it more visually appealing by using different colors for different types of files.

Installation

Install tree command using Homebrew:

brew install tree

Common Options

Option	Description
`-a`	Show all files (including hidden)
`-d`	List directories only
`-L n`	Limit depth to n levels
`-f`	Print full path prefix

Use Cases

Project structure documentation
Directory navigation
File system exploration
Project organization

Example Commands

# Show only directories
tree -d

# Limit depth to 2 levels
tree -L 2

# Exclude multiple patterns
tree -I 'node_modules|tmp|cache'

# Show with file size
tree -sh

Tips

Use patterns to exclude unwanted directories
Combine options for specific needs
Redirect output to file for documentation
Use color output for better visibility

#CLI #Unix #Tools #Filesystem