# Fuzzy Finder (FZF)
Is a command-line tool that makes it easy to search and filter through lists of data, such as file lists, command history, or any other structured data. It’s particularly popular among developers and power users for quickly finding and selecting items in a terminal.
To install FZF and use it, you’ll need to follow these general steps:
Installation
You can install FZF using your system’s package manager or by downloading it directly
- Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S fzf
- Debian
sudo apt install fzf
- Void Linux
sudo xbps-install -S fzf
- Using GitHub (cross-platform)
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/junegunn/fzf.git ~/.fzf
~/.fzf/install
Basic Usage
Once FZF is installed, you can use it in various ways. The most common usage is to bind it to a keyboard shortcut, like Ctrl+T or Ctrl+R, for easy access
Here are some examples of how to use FZF:
- File Search
To quickly search for and open files, navigate to the directory you want to search in, and then use the following command
fzf
This will open a fuzzy search interface where you can type to filter and select files
- History Search
To search your shell command history, it provides an interactive search interface for your command history.
history | fzf
- Custom Lists
You can use FZF to interactively search through any list of items. For example, if you have a list of items in a file or a shell variable, you can pipe it into FZF for searching. Here’s an example with a list of fruits
echo "apple banana cherry date fig grape" | fzf
Customization
FZF provides a wide range of options and customizations that you can use to tailor its behavior to your needs. You can create custom key bindings, define custom sorting methods, and more. Check the official documentation for detailed customization options.
FZF is a powerful tool that can significantly improve your command-line productivity. It’s versatile and can be integrated into various workflows, making it a popular choice for developers and system administrators.