Recursively search parent folders for a specific file or folder.

getFilePath.sh

#!/bin/bash

# The function below will recursively search parent folders
# from the current folder (or specified starting folder)
# until it finds a matching file or folder, then returns
# the full absolute path to that file or folder.
#
# Run this script where it's stored or call the 'getFilePath' function
# if included as a source in another script.
#
# Usage:
# $ ./getFilePath.sh filename.txt /foo/bar/base_folder
##=> /foo/filename.txt
#
# FILE_PATH=$(getFilePath foldername /foo/bar/deeply/nested/folder)
##=> /foo/bar/foldername
#

nameInput=$1
baseInput=$2

# check for file $1 in dir $2 and parent dirs recursively
getFilePath() {

    # NEED A FILE/FOLDER NAME!
    [[ -z $1 ]] && { echo $(pwd); return 0; }

    # reset filePath each time
    filePath=""

    name=$1

    # save Original Working Directory
    OWD=$(pwd)

    # set baseDir to the current folder...
    baseDir=${OWD}

    # ...unless specified as a second argument
    [[ ! -z $2 ]] && { baseDir=$2; }

    # start in baseDir
    cd ${baseDir}

    # reset baseDir var to current dir
    baseDir="."

    while [[ ${filePath} == "" ]]; do
        if [[ -e $1 ]]; then
            filePath=$(pwd)/$1
            break
        else
            cd ../
        fi
        [[ $(pwd) == "/" ]] && { break; }
    done

    if [[ ${filePath} != "" ]]; then
        echo ${filePath}
    else
        echo "not found"
    fi

    # take user back to original folder
    cd ${OWD}

}

getFilePath ${nameInput} ${baseInput}

#