When writing shell scripts, one of the most common tasks is obtaining a list of files from a directory. Whether you’re automating backups, processing logs, or organizing files, shell scripting provides several simple and powerful methods to accomplish this.

In this guide, we’ll explore different ways to get a list of files in a directory using a shell script.

Why List Files in a Shell Script?

Getting a list of files is useful for:

• Backup automation
• Batch file processing
• Log analysis
• File renaming
• Data migration
• System administration tasks

Method 1: Using a Simple Loop

The most common approach is using a for loop.

for file in *; do
    echo "$file"
done

Output

file1.txt
file2.txt
image.jpg
documents

This lists all files and directories in the current directory.

Method 2: List Only Files

To exclude directories:

for file in *; do
    if [ -f "$file" ]; then
        echo "$file"
    fi
done

Output

file1.txt
file2.txt
report.pdf

The -f option checks whether the item is a regular file.

Method 3: List Files from Another Directory

Specify a path directly:

for file in /home/user/Documents/*; do
    echo "$file"
done

Output

/home/user/Documents/report.pdf
/home/user/Documents/data.csv

Method 4: Store Files in an Array

Arrays are useful when you need to process files multiple times.

files=(*)

Loop through them:

for file in "${files[@]}"; do
    echo "$file"
done

This approach is cleaner for larger scripts.

Method 5: Using the ls Command

A simple option:

ls

Or save the output:

files=$(ls)

Display the results:

echo "$files"

While this works, it’s generally not recommended for advanced scripting because filenames containing spaces can cause issues.

Method 6: Using find

To search recursively through subdirectories:

find . -type f

Output

./file1.txt
./logs/error.log
./images/photo.jpg

This displays all files in the current directory and its subdirectories.

Method 7: Save Results to a Text File

You can export the file list:

find . -type f > filelist.txt

Contents of filelist.txt:

./file1.txt
./file2.txt
./images/photo.jpg

This is useful for reporting and auditing.

Method 8: List Files by Extension

Text files:

for file in *.txt; do
    echo "$file"
done

Image files:

for file in *.jpg; do
    echo "$file"
done

PDF files:

for file in *.pdf; do
    echo "$file"
done

Count Files in a Directory

Count all files:

find . -type f | wc -l

Example output:

42

This indicates there are 42 files.

Practical Example: Process Every File

Suppose you want to print file sizes:

for file in *; do
    if [ -f "$file" ]; then
        ls -lh "$file"
    fi
done

Example output:

-rw-r--r-- 1 user user 12K file1.txt
-rw-r--r-- 1 user user 3.2M video.mp4

Common Mistakes

Forgetting Quotes

Incorrect:

echo $file

Correct:

echo "$file"

Quotes prevent errors when filenames contain spaces.

Using ls Inside Loops

Avoid:

for file in $(ls)

Prefer:

for file in *

The second approach is safer and handles special characters correctly.

Best Practice

For most shell scripts:

for file in *; do
    [ -f "$file" ] && echo "$file"
done

This is simple, efficient, and works in most situations.

For recursive searches, use:

find . -type f

Infographic

Conclusion

There are several ways to get a list of files in a directory using a shell script:

• for loops for simple iteration
• Arrays for reusable file lists
• find for recursive searches
• ls for quick directory viewing
• Pattern matching for specific file types

For scripting purposes, loops and the find command are generally the most reliable solutions.

Happy Coding!