> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://ploegert.gitbook.io/til/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://ploegert.gitbook.io/til/os/unix/directory/globbing-for-filenames-in-zsh.md).

# Globbing For Filenames In Zsh

Zsh has extensive support for *globbing* for filenames. *Globbing* is a short-hand, of sorts, for generating filenames that meet certain criteria. The generated filenames can be used with any command you might otherwise provide a filename to in a unix setting.

For example, consider a directory full of files including many that are named with numbers. You'd like to list all files that have numeric names.

Doing `ls` by itself gives the following result:

```bash
$ ls
10        11        2         3         4         801       92        code.rb   hello.txt
```

With the use of a numeric pattern, Zsh's *globbing* helps `ls` limit the set of listed files to just those with numeric names:

```bash
$ ls *[0-9]
10  11  2   3   4   801 92
```

This only scrapes the surface of what can be done with globbing in Zsh.

[source](http://zsh.sourceforge.net/Intro/intro_2.html)

h/t Josh Davey