find2perl

find2perl [find-arguments]

find-arguments
    Arguments passed to the underlying find command. This is any valid arguments available to the find command.

The find2perl command is a utility included with Perl that transforms the output of the find command into Perl code.
It essentially translates file paths found by find into a Perl program that can then process these files based on specified criteria. This allows for powerful and flexible file manipulation using Perl's extensive text processing and system administration capabilities.
The generated Perl code contains a loop that iterates through the files found by find, allowing you to perform operations on each file, such as renaming, deleting, or modifying their content.
This command simplifies the integration of find results into Perl scripts, avoiding the need to parse command line output. The produced Perl code is printed to standard output.

find2perl relies on the correct operation of the find command. Make sure
find is working properly before attempting to translate its output to Perl code.
The generated code requires a Perl interpreter to run. Make sure it is installed.
The generated Perl code may need modification for specific tasks. This is a translation command and the user is expected to adapt the result for their specific problem.

To find all .txt files in the current directory and print their names:

find . -name '*.txt' | find2perl

The above will generate a Perl script, that you would need to execute by redirecting its output to a file and then executing it using `perl filename.pl`.
A better approach would be: find2perl . -name '*.txt' -print

Always review the generated Perl code carefully before executing it, especially if the input to find comes from an untrusted source. Unsanitized filenames could lead to command injection vulnerabilities.

find2perl was created to bridge the gap between the powerful file searching capabilities of the find command and the flexible scripting environment of Perl.
It was designed to simplify the process of automating file management tasks that require both file system traversal and complex processing logic.
Over time, it has become a standard utility in Perl distributions, widely used by system administrators and developers to automate file operations.

find(1), perl(1)