Re: add find -limit, xargs --limit

[Christopher Chittleborough]

GNU sed is our friend ... particularly its "-z" (alias "--null-data", alias
"--zero-terminated") options.

> Gentlemen, just like the SQL language has a "LIMIT" operator, so also
> does find need a -limit (and xargs a --limit) option.
> 
> You might ask can't one just use e.g.,
> $ find|sed 3q
> $ some_command|sed 3q|xargs ...
> 
> and e.g.,
> $ find -print0 | perl -0nwe 'print; exit if $. == 3;' | xargs -0 ...
> if needing to use nulls.

If you're using GNU sed (which almost all users of GNU find will be),
  find -print0 | sed -z 3q | xargs -0 ...
will do the trick.
 
> Well yes one can, but
> 1. at least give the null example on the man pages.

Yes, this seems like a good idea to me.

> 2. wouldn't it be much more efficient if the commands stopped output
> themselves? Like
> $ find -limit 3 -print0 | xargs -0 ...
> or
> $ any_command | xargs --limit 3

I don't think piping through sed is a significant run-time cost.

Cheers -- Chris