---
name: "File::Find::Wanted"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "libfile-find-wanted-perl"
version: "1.00-1.1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/File::Find::Wanted"
---

# File::Find::Wanted(3pm)

More obvious wrapper around File::Find

## NAME

File::Find::Wanted - More obvious wrapper around File::Find

## VERSION

Version 1.00

## SYNOPSIS

File::Find is a great module, except that it doesn't actually find anything.  Its `"find()"` function walks a directory tree and calls a callback function.  Unfortunately, the callback function is deceptively called `"wanted"`, which implies that it should return a boolean saying whether you want the file.  That's not how it works.

Most of the time you call `"find()"`, you just want to build a list of files.  There are other modules that do this for you, most notably Richard Clamp's great File::Find::Rule, but in many cases, it's overkill, and you need to learn a new syntax.

With the `"find_wanted"` function, you supply a callback sub and a list of starting directories, but the sub actually should return a boolean saying whether you want the file in your list or not.

To get a list of all files ending in *.jpg*:

```
    my @files = find_wanted( sub { -f && /\.jpg$/ }, $dir );
```

For a list of all directories that are not *CVS* or *.svn*:

```
    my @files = find_wanted( sub { -d && !/^(CVS|\.svn)$/ }, $dir ) );
```

It's easy, direct, and simple.

## WHY DO THIS?

The cynical may say "that's just the same as doing this":

```
    my @files;
    find( sub { push @files, $File::Find::name if -f && /\.jpg$/ }, $dir );
```

Sure it is, but File::Find::Wanted makes it more obvious, and saves a line of code.  That's worth it to me.  I'd like it if **find\_wanted()** made its way into the File::Find distro, but for now, this will do.

## FUNCTIONS

### find\_wanted( *&wanted*, *@directories* )

Descends through *@directories*, calling the *wanted* function as it finds each file.  The function returns a list of all the files and directories for which the *wanted* function returned a true value.

This is just a wrapper around `"File::Find::find()"`.  See File::Find for details on how to modify its behavior.

## COPYRIGHT & LICENSE

Copyright 2005-2012 Andy Lester.

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the Artistic License v2.0.