Command Line trash

By  on  

One of the first commands you learn when experimenting with command line is rm, the utility for deleting files and directories. Deletion is a core computer UI operation but operating systems use a "Trash" paradigm, where files are stored before truly deleted. With the rm utility, however, files are immediately, permanently deleted.

If you're like me and afraid to automate permanent file deletion, you can opt for a utility named trash. This nice Node.js library moves files to the trash instead of instant deletion.

// Install with `yarn add trash`

// Move a file to trash
const trash = require('trash');
await trash('bug-report.jpg');

There's also a trash-cli package for using the utility from command line:

yarn add trash-cli

# Usage
trash unicorn.png rainbow.png
trash '*.png' '!unicorn.png'

rm can be really harsh so having a trash utility is helpful in providing users a file deletion paradigm that they're used to.

Recent Features

  • By
    39 Shirts – Leaving Mozilla

    In 2001 I had just graduated from a small town high school and headed off to a small town college. I found myself in the quaint computer lab where the substandard computers featured two browsers: Internet Explorer and Mozilla. It was this lab where I fell...

  • By
    Designing for Simplicity

    Before we get started, it's worth me spending a brief moment introducing myself to you. My name is Mark (or @integralist if Twitter happens to be your communication tool of choice) and I currently work for BBC News in London England as a principal engineer/tech...

Incredible Demos

  • By
    Redacted Font

    Back when I created client websites, one of the many things that frustrated me was the initial design handoff.  It would always go like this: Work hard to incorporate client's ideas, dream up awesome design. Create said design, using Lorem Ipsum text Send initial design concept to the client...

  • By
    Create a 3D Panorama Image with A-Frame

    In the five years I've been at Mozilla I've seen some awesome projects.  Some of them very popular, some of them very niche, but none of them has inspired me the way the MozVR team's work with WebVR and A-Frame project have. A-Frame is a community project...

Discussion

  1. Hej David, there is even a shell alternative if you prefer to stick to the tools you already have like me. Just write down this simple function

    trash () {
            mv -v $1 $HOME/.Trash
    }
    

Wrap your code in <pre class="{language}"></pre> tags, link to a GitHub gist, JSFiddle fiddle, or CodePen pen to embed!