dirs - macOS

Overview

The dirs command in macOS is used to display the list of currently remembered directories in the directory stack. This command is very useful in shell scripting and command-line operations to efficiently manage and navigate through different directory paths without repeatedly using lengthy paths.

Syntax

The basic syntax of the dirs command is as follows:

dirs [options]

Options/Flags

  • -v or --v: Displays the directory stack with one entry per line, prefixed with its position in the stack.
  • -c: Clears the directory stack by removing all entries.
  • +N: Displays the Nth directory (counting from the left of the list printed by dirs when invoked without arguments, starting with zero).
  • -N: Displays the Nth directory (counting from the right of the list printed by dirs when invoked without arguments, starting with zero).

Examples

Example 1: Displaying the directory stack

dirs

Example 2: Displaying the directory stack with index

dirs -v

This will list all directories in the stack along with their index, making it easier to refer to them in other commands.

Example 3: Clearing the directory stack

dirs -c

This command clears all entries in the directory stack, which is useful when starting a new session or clearing the current stack of directories.

Example 4: Accessing a specific directory in the stack

cd $(dirs +1)

This command will change the current directory to the second directory in the stack.

Common Issues

  • Stack overflow: If too many directories are added to the stack, it might become cumbersome to manage. Using dirs -c periodically can help manage this.
  • Index confusion: When using +N or -N, users may confuse the indexing starting from zero (left) or one (right), leading to unexpected results.

Integration

The dirs command can be effectively combined with pushd and popd for advanced directory navigation. Here’s a typical workflow:

pushd /path/to/dir
# Perform operations in /path/to/dir
dirs -v  # Check current stack
pushd /another/path
# Perform operations
popd
# Back to /path/to/dir
dirs -c  # Clear stack when done

This demonstrates how dirs, along with pushd and popd, can be used to maneuver between directories in complex scripts.

  • pushd: Adds directories to the stack and changes the current directory to the pushed directory.
  • popd: Removes entries from the directory stack and changes the current directory to the last added path.

For further reading and more detailed information, consult the GNU Bash documentation.