English Idiom in Unix: Directory Recursively

[Lanarcam]

Hans Georg Schaathun écrivit:
> 
> :  also, in the rsync case: “This would recursively transfer all files
> :  from the directory … ”, what does the word “recursively” mean there?
> 
> Exactly the same as it does in «listing the directory recursively»
> or «deleting the directory recursively».

Traversing recursively a directory is more readily understandable when
there are sub-directories, the operation involves going down those
sub-directories and applying the same function ad infinitum.

Excuse my Latin.

> Again the distinction could be useful.  A non-recursive «rsync dir1
> dir2» probably isn't useful, but «rsync * dir2» might be.
>