tar-sorted

#!/bin/bash
#############################################################################
# tar-sorted: Create tar files automatically sorted by file name.           #
#                                                                           #
# This is particularly helpful on random-order file systems, such as ext4.  #
#                                                                           #
# With the Bettergist Collector, we use this to be able to roughly estimate #
# how long compressing and extracting multiple-gigabyte files with millions #
# of files will take.                                                       #
#                                                                           #
# It is a drop-in replacement for `tar`, and uses the same arguments.       #
#                                                                           #
# Optionally, you can install the function directly into your ~/.bashrc.    #
#                                                                           #
# Part of HopeSeekr's BashScripts Collection                                #
# https://github.com/hopeseekr/BashScripts/                                 #
#                                                                           #
# Copyright © 2024 Theodore R. Smith <theodore@phpexperts.pro>              #
# GPG Fingerprint: 4BF8 2613 1C34 87AC D28F  2AD8 EB24 A91D D612 5690       #
#                                                                           #
# License: Creative Commons Attribution v4.0 International                  #
#                                                                           #
#############################################################################

# Create tar archives sorted alphanumerically.

function tar-sorted() {
    local options="$@"
    local archive="$2"
    local zstd_flag=""

    # Check for compression flag
    if [[ "$options" == *"--zstd"* ]]; then
        zstd_flag="--zstd"
        echo "Options (before): $options"
        options="${options/--zstd/}"
        echo "Options (after): $options"

        set -- $options
    fi

    # Only pass the remaining arguments (targets) to the find command
    find "${@:3}" -print0 | sort -z | tar "$zstd_flag" "$1" "$2" --no-recursion --null -T -;
}

function tar-sorted-orig() {
    find "${@:3}" -print0 | sort -z | tar "$1" "$2" --no-recursion --null -T -;
};


tar-sorted "$@"