Xargs Tool — Command Builder & Batch Executor
Read items from stdin and execute a command with those items as arguments. Essential for batch processing large file lists, parallel task execution, and chaining complex command pipelines.
Quick Start
# Delete multiple files
echo "file1.txt file2.txt" | xargs-tool rm -f
# Process output from another command
ls *.log | xargs-tool gzip
Usage
xargs-tool COMMAND [ARGS...] [OPTIONS]
SOURCE_ITEMS | xargs-tool COMMAND [ARGS...] [OPTIONS]
Options:
-n, --max-args N Maximum arguments per command invocation
-P, --parallel N Run N processes in parallel
-I, --replace STR Replace STR in command with each input line
-d, --delimiter C Input delimiter character (default: whitespace)
-0, --null Input items are null-separated (for find -print0)
-p, --interactive Prompt before each execution
-t, --verbose Print each command before executing
--show-limits Show system limits for command length
--dry-run Print what would be done without executing
Examples
# Process a find result safely (null-separated)
find . -name "*.tmp" -print0 | xargs-tool -0 rm -f
# Parallel compression (4 processes at once)
ls *.log | xargs-tool -P 4 gzip
# Custom replacement (one command per item)
ls *.txt | xargs-tool -I {} cp {} /backup/{}
# Interactive removal
ls old-files/ | xargs-tool -p rm
# Batch 10 args per invocation (reduce process count)
cat image-list.txt | xargs-tool -n 10 convert --resize 800x600
# Dry-run to preview
echo "*.py" | xargs-tool --dry-run -I {} cp {} /backup/
Features
- Batch processing — split large inputs into manageable command invocations
- Parallel execution — speed up batch jobs with -P N
- Custom substitution — place input items anywhere in the command with -I
- Null-separated input — safe handling of filenames with spaces/special chars
- Interactive mode — confirm each operation
- Dry-run — preview without executing
- Verbose mode — see each command as it runs
- System-aware — respects ARG_MAX limits