j Verified current stable Not installed? Filesystem

J / Jump To Directory By Pattern

Jump To Directory By Pattern

Navigates to a directory that matches the specified pattern from the Autojump database.

$
Terminal
j <pattern>

When To Use

When needing to quickly access a directory based on partial or complete name matching, particularly in sizable file hierarchies.

Pro Tip

Ensure the Autojump database is frequently updated with 'j -u' to enhance pattern matching reliability.

Command Builder

Tune the command before you copy it

Back to syntax
$
Generated Command
j <pattern>

Terminal Output

Expected runtime feedback

Simulated preview
>
Output
$ j proj
Jumped to: ~/Documents/Projects/ProjectX

$ pwd
/home/user/Documents/Projects/ProjectX

Anatomy of Output

Understanding the result

Jumping to: /home/user/projects/2023/ Jump Target

Indicates the resolved directory path based on the pattern.

Autojump found 3 entries matching the pattern. Match Count

Displays the number of directories found according to the search pattern.

% /home/user/projects/2023: <3.14s> Execution Time

Shows the time taken to execute the jump command.

Troubleshooting

Common pitfalls

No match found for 'example'.

Solution: Ensure the pattern is correct or add directories to the Autojump database.

Autojump: Not yet trained for 'foo/bar'.

Solution: Use 'j -u' to train Autojump on recent directories.

Invalid pattern supplied: Non-match found.

Solution: Confirm pattern syntax and contents of the jump database.

Command Breakdown

What each part is doing

j
Base Command
The executable that performs this operation. Here it runs J before the shell applies any redirect operators.
<pattern>
pattern
The value supplied for pattern.

How To Run

Execution path

  1. Step 1

    Run `j proj` to jump to the matching directory.

  2. Step 2

    Verify the change by running `pwd` to check your current path.

Alternative Approaches

Comparable commands in other tools

Alternative filesystem tools for the same job.