nerd_tree/README.md

# Visual Find

**vfind** is a tool written in python based on *nerd_tree*.<br />
Its purpose (and base idea) is to blend the unix command *find* with the *tree* command.<br />
You can search in a particular subtree for files or folders that match a regular expression and other criteria, the results will be shown graphically in a tree (in a similar way that the tree command does).<br />

## Installation on your system

In my opinion the better solution is:<br />
1. Clone the repository in your home folder
2. Go to your home folder and make a symbolic link to the command in your ~/bin folder
```
  cd ~/nerd_tree
  ln -s ~/nerd_tree/vfind.py ~/bin/vfind
```

## How to use

**vfind** has 2 mandatory arguments, the *path* of subtree from which to begin the search and the *search* pattern (a regexp)

```
vfind ~/nerd_tree/ "(.*)rem(.*)"
```

all items matching the pattern are show in the result tree: in this specific case any name containing **rem** substring<br />
You can use as pattern any valid regular expression, for example pattern as this

```
vfind ~/nerd_tree/ "(.*)rem|tree(.*)"
```

The folder matching the pattern are show collapsed with information about the total number of files and the size of the subtree.
If you want to show the subtree expanded you can use the flag **-s**

```
vfind ~/nerd_tree/ "(.*)rem(.*)" -s
```

## Include/Exclude path

You can include a set of results selecting specific branch (or paths) with the option **-i** (include).
For example:

```
vfind ~/nerd_tree/ "(.*)py" -i src
```

include the results that along the path have the name **src**.<br />
In a similar manner you can exclude paths with the option **-e**