Introduction to Erdtree (erd)
Erdtree, often abbreviated as erd, is a modern utility tool designed to make managing and analyzing file systems easier and more intuitive. It's a cross-platform, multi-threaded tool offering a range of functionalities similar to well-known utilities like du, tree, find, wc, and ls, all rolled into one neat package.
Key Features
One of Erdtree's standout features is its ability to report disk usage using various metrics, including bytes (logical or physical), blocks, word-count, and even line-count. It respects .gitignore and hidden file rules automatically, ensuring that your reports and analyses are consistently accurate according to your preferences.
Another distinctive feature is its array of viewing and sorting options. Users can opt for an ls -l style view that provides details such as file permissions, owner, and group information (Unix-only). It offers several layout styles such as a reverse tree output, a conventional tree output, and a du-like output. Erdtree also supports granular sorting options and can sort files and directories by several properties including size and modification date.
Erdtree is also equipped with icons for file representation and uses color to make its outputs more visually engaging and easy to interpret, which can be especially useful when dealing with large datasets.
Usage and Configuration
Erdtree can be easily customized to fit specific user needs. You can define your preferences in a configuration file, or opt to call up one of its default configurations for specific tasks like mimicking du or performing ls -l operations. It's designed to be lightweight and effective, allowing you to install additional dependencies only if you're looking into specific features like hard-link detection on Windows.
Installation
For convenience, Erdtree supports multiple installation methods. If you're using Unix-like operating systems, you can install it via cargo if you have Rust installed. For macOS users, it's available via Homebrew, and for Windows users, it can be installed through Scoop. Pre-built binaries are available for common architectures.
Detailed Operation
Erdtree uses a command-line interface and accommodates various arguments to better suit specific operational requirements. For instance, you can limit the directory depth to improve performance or ease the complexity of outputs using the -L argument.
Similarly, for cleaner outputs, Erdtree can prune empty directories or even restrict outputs to directories only. These features allow the user more control over what gets analyzed and how the results are presented.
Conclusion
Erdtree brings an innovative, highly adaptable approach to filesystem analysis and management. Whether you're looking to match exact outputs from tools like du or ls, or aiming for a completely customized report, Erdtree offers the flexibility and robustness to handle these demands efficiently. With additional functionalities continually being developed, Erdtree stands as a strong utility for modern file system management needs.