# gulp-filter [](https://travis-ci.org/sindresorhus/gulp-filter)
> Filter files in a [Vinyl](https://github.com/gulpjs/vinyl) stream
Enables you to work on a subset of the original files by filtering them using glob patterns. When you're done and want all the original files back you just use the `restore` stream.
## Install
```
$ npm install --save-dev gulp-filter
```
## Usage
### Filter only
You may want to just filter the stream content:
```js
const gulp = require('gulp');
const uglify = require('gulp-uglify');
const filter = require('gulp-filter');
gulp.task('default', () => {
// Create filter instance inside task function
const f = filter(['**', '!*src/vendor']);
return gulp.src('src/**/*.js')
// Filter a subset of the files
.pipe(f)
// Run them through a plugin
.pipe(uglify())
.pipe(gulp.dest('dist'));
});
```
### Restoring filtered files
```js
const gulp = require('gulp');
const uglify = require('gulp-uglify');
const filter = require('gulp-filter');
gulp.task('default', () => {
// Create filter instance inside task function
const f = filter(['**', '!*src/vendor'], {restore: true});
return gulp.src('src/**/*.js')
// Filter a subset of the files
.pipe(f)
// Run them through a plugin
.pipe(uglify())
// Bring back the previously filtered out files (optional)
.pipe(f.restore)
.pipe(gulp.dest('dist'));
});
```
### Multiple filters
By combining and restoring different filters you can process different sets of files with a single pipeline.
```js
const gulp = require('gulp');
const less = require('gulp-less');
const concat = require('gulp-concat');
const filter = require('gulp-filter');
gulp.task('default', () => {
const jsFilter = filter('**/*.js', {restore: true});
const lessFilter = filter('**/*.less', {restore: true});
return gulp.src('assets/**')
.pipe(jsFilter)
.pipe(concat('bundle.js'))
.pipe(jsFilter.restore)
.pipe(lessFilter)
.pipe(less())
.pipe(lessFilter.restore)
.pipe(gulp.dest('out/'));
});
```
### Restore as a file source
You can restore filtered files in a different place and use it as a standalone source of files (ReadableStream). Setting the `passthrough` option to `false` allows you to do so.
```js
const gulp = require('gulp');
const uglify = require('gulp-uglify');
const filter = require('gulp-filter');
gulp.task('default', () => {
const f = filter(['**', '!*src/vendor'], {restore: true, passthrough: false});
const stream = gulp.src('src/**/*.js')
// Filter a subset of the files
.pipe(f)
// Run them through a plugin
.pipe(uglify())
.pipe(gulp.dest('dist'));
// Use filtered files as a gulp file source
f.restore.pipe(gulp.dest('vendor-dist'));
return stream;
});
```
## API
### filter(pattern, [options])
Returns a [transform stream](http://nodejs.org/api/stream.html#stream_class_stream_transform) with a [.restore](#optionsrestore) property.
#### pattern
Type: `string` `Array` `Function`
Accepts a string/array with globbing patterns which are run through [multimatch](https://github.com/sindresorhus/multimatch).
If you supply a function, you'll get a [vinyl file object](https://github.com/wearefractal/vinyl#file) as the first argument and you're expected to return a boolean of whether to include the file:
```js
filter(file => /unicorns/.test(file.path));
```
#### options
Type: `Object`
Accepts [minimatch options](https://github.com/isaacs/minimatch#options).
*Note:* Set `dot: true` if you need to match files prefixed with a dot (e.g. `.gitignore`).
##### restore
Type: `boolean`
Default: `false`
Restore filtered files.
##### passthrough
Type: `boolean`
Default: `true`
When set to `true`, filtered files are restored with a `stream.PassThrough`, otherwise, when set to `false`, filtered files are restored as a `stram.Readable`.
When the stream is a `stream.Readable`, it ends by itself, but when it's `stream.PassThrough`, you are responsible of ending the stream.
## License
MIT © [Sindre Sorhus](https://sindresorhus.com)