From 912d2b94cf6ff0871c07325af5ed520a2bc97722 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Tavian Barnes <tavianator@tavianator.com>
Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2024 10:44:34 -0400
Subject: Implement -limit N

Closes: https://github.com/tavianator/bfs/issues/133
---
 docs/USAGE.md | 34 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 docs/bfs.1    |  5 +++++
 2 files changed, 39 insertions(+)

(limited to 'docs')

diff --git a/docs/USAGE.md b/docs/USAGE.md
index 3efdee0..071c95b 100644
--- a/docs/USAGE.md
+++ b/docs/USAGE.md
@@ -130,6 +130,40 @@ Unlike `-prune`, `-exclude` even works in combination with `-depth`/`-delete`.
 
 ---
 
+### `-limit`
+
+The `-limit N` action makes `bfs` quit once it gets evaluated `N` times.
+Placing it after an action like `-print` limits the number of results that get printed, for example:
+
+```console
+$ bfs -s -type f -name '*.txt'
+./1.txt
+./2.txt
+./3.txt
+./4.txt
+$ bfs -s -type f -name '*.txt' -print -limit 2
+./1.txt
+./2.txt
+```
+
+This is similar to
+
+```console
+$ bfs -s -type f -name '*.txt' | head -n2
+```
+
+but more powerful because you can apply separate limits to different expressions:
+
+```console
+$ bfs \( -name '*.txt' -print -limit 3 -o -name '*.log' -print -limit 4 \) -limit 5
+[At most 3 .txt files, at most 4 .log files, and at most 5 in total]
+```
+
+and more efficient because it will quit immediately.
+When piping to `head`, `bfs` will only quit *after* it tries to output too many results.
+
+---
+
 ### `-hidden`/`-nohidden`
 
 `-hidden` matches "hidden" files (dotfiles).
diff --git a/docs/bfs.1 b/docs/bfs.1
index 2ecb891..3a4f15a 100644
--- a/docs/bfs.1
+++ b/docs/bfs.1
@@ -725,6 +725,11 @@ but write to
 instead of standard output.
 .RE
 .TP
+\fB\-limit \fIN\fR
+Quit once this action is evaluated
+.I N
+times.
+.TP
 .B \-ls
 List files like
 .B ls
-- 
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