Add xargs Ignores Alias Substitution By Default as a Unix TIL

unix/xargs-ignores-alias-substitution-by-default.md

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+# xargs Ignores Alias Substitution By Default
+
+I have a number of aliases set up in my shell's RC file. For instance, I use
+`nvim` as my main editor, but because of muscle memory, I've aliased `vim` to
+`nvim`.
+
+```bash
+❯ alias vim
+vim=nvim
+```
+
+So, I was surprised when I ran the following `xargs` command.
+
+```bash
+❯ rg 'some pattern' -l | xargs vim
+```
+
+It opened the matching files in `vim` rather than `nvim`.
+
+The reason for this is that `xargs` is a separate function that does not have
+an internal concept of aliases that need to be substituted.
+
+There is, however, a trick built in to `alias` that we can use. By leaving a
+trailing space in an alias, we tell the shell to check for an alias
+substitution to expand in the following word.
+
+So, I can alias `xargs` to `'xargs '` and it will respect my `vim` alias.
+
+```
+❯ alias xargs='xargs '
+```
+
+[source](https://unix.stackexchange.com/a/244516/5916)