Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!ucsd!ucbvax!ulysses!gsf
From: gsf@ulysses.homer.nj.att.com (Glenn Fowler[drew])
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: find command
Summary: -depth is mis-named
Message-ID: <12446@ulysses.homer.nj.att.com>
Date: 1 Dec 89 13:16:08 GMT
References: <616@uncle.UUCP> <21544@adm.BRL.MIL> <4343@helios.ee.lbl.gov>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 29

In article <4343@helios.ee.lbl.gov>, envbvs@epb2.lbl.gov (Brian V. Smith) writes:
> It seems as though the Ultrix and SunOs find ALWAYS use a *depth-first*
> search and there is no option to do a *breadth-first* search.
> 
> Anyone out there know if it is possible to do a breadth-first search with find
> under Ultrix or SunOs?  I presume BSD is the same.

the -depth option is mis-named - BSD and ATT find always use depth-first-search
by default find does a pre-order DFS - a directory is seen before its children
-depth (when available) turns on a post-order DFS - a directory is seen
after its children have been processed

	$ find . -print		# pre-order
	.
	./first-child
	...
	./last-child

	$find . -depth -print	# post-order
	./first-child
	...
	./last-child
	.

just think of -depth as -post
a breadth-first directory traversal would be resource intensive
-- 
Glenn Fowler    (201)-582-2195    AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ
uucp: {att,decvax,ucbvax}!ulysses!gsf       internet: gsf@ulysses.att.com