GNU Find this but not that and do Sed?

Question

Code

find /tmp/ -type f                                      \
    \( -name "*.h" \) -o \( -name "*.cpp" \) -o         \
    \( \! -name "*.bak" \) -exec                        \
    sed -i '1s/^/#include <stdint.h>\n/' {} +

I am not completely sure that this is the right way to go. I write directly to the file without taking temporary files. I want to replace the beginning of the line in .h and .cpp files with but not in .bak files.

How can you make efficient replacement? Note: I am using GNU sed.

I tried Terdon's command and the insertion is applied to wrong files:

$ cat test.sh 
gfind /tmp/ -type f   \
    \( -name "*.h" -o -name "*.cpp" -o ! -name "*.bak" \) \
    -exec gsed -i '1s/^/#include <stdint.h>\n/' {} +    
$ sh test.sh 
$ cat test.sh    
#include <stdint.h>
gfind /tmp/ -type f   \
    \( -name "*.h" -o -name "*.cpp" -o ! -name "*.bak" \) \
    -exec gsed -i '1s/^/#include <stdint.h>\n/' {} +

where all commands are GNU: find and sed.

Have you read `man find` and the `-exec` section? Did you try this and see the error it returned? — terdon, Jun 29 '15 at 11:50
@terdon I propose to add `{} +` to the end or even better to use instead `xargs`, but still something missing. — Léo Léopold Hertz 준영, Jun 29 '15 at 12:01
That is not the command I told you to run. You have added an `-o` before the `!` so it is finding either files ending in `.h` **or** files ending in `.cpp`, **or** files not ending in `.bak`. — terdon, Jun 29 '15 at 12:33
@terdon My mistake. I am sorry for that. I just remove `-o` in front of `!` and I think everything should be ok. — Léo Léopold Hertz 준영, Jun 29 '15 at 12:35

terdon · Accepted Answer · 2015-06-29T17:34:15.927

7

Try this:

find /tmp/ -type f  -name "*.h" -o -name "*.cpp"  \
           -exec  sed -i '1s/^/#include <stdint.h>\n/' {} +

Also, as correctly pointed out to me, the ! -name "*.bak" is superfluous. The -name *foo pattern only matches files ending with foo. Therefore, the *.cpp and *.h already exclude *.bak.

edited Jun 29 '15 at 17:34

answered Jun 29 '15 at 12:08

terdon

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Why `{} \;`? But not `{} +`? – Léo Léopold Hertz 준영 Jun 29 '15 at 12:11
@Masi well, my GNU `find` can deal with `sed -i 's/foo/bar/ *` on multiple files correctly (I have edited to use `+`). I didn't use it at first because I'm not sure that non-GNU `sed` can do that. – terdon Jun 29 '15 at 12:18
@Masi what command did you run? There is no `_` there so I don't see how that message could have come from the one I show. – terdon Jun 29 '15 at 12:22
Error `sed: 1: "/tmp/ ...": bad flag in substitute command: '_'` only in BSD sed but not in GNU sed. I think it is enough to stay in GNU Sed. – Léo Léopold Hertz 준영 Jun 29 '15 at 12:22
@Masi well, yeah, that's what you get when you don't tell us your OS. Come on Masi! This is not the first time I've had to tell you to give us all information in the question. The syntax for BSD sed is quite different. For one thins it needs `-i ''` when you don't want a backup file. I also don't know if it supports the `1` flag or using `-i` on multiple files. – terdon Jun 29 '15 at 12:24
Forget BSD, let's stick to GNU. In GNU, something fails and badly. Every single file of the folder and its subfolders is put `#include ` with this command. I posted output below – Léo Léopold Hertz 준영 Jun 29 '15 at 12:25
1

@Masi try pasting the _exact_ command I gave you. I also removed the unneeded `! -name "*.bak"`. – terdon Jun 29 '15 at 12:34
Yes, you are right, it is unnecessary in GNU find. I think everything works now. – Léo Léopold Hertz 준영 Jun 29 '15 at 12:36
@terdon Sure those parens are needed ? – 123 Jun 29 '15 at 12:53
@User112638726 nope, not sure at all :) Thanks. – terdon Jun 29 '15 at 17:34

GNU Find this but not that and do Sed?

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