README.md

# dircycle

Plugin for cycling through the directory stack

This plugin enables directory navigation similar to using back and forward on browsers or common file explorers like Finder or Nautilus. It uses a small zle trick that lets you cycle through your directory stack left or right using <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>Left</kbd> / <kbd>Right</kbd> . This is useful when moving back and forth between directories in development environments, and can be thought of as kind of a nondestructive pushd/popd.

## Enabling the plugin

1. Open your `.zshrc` file and add `dircycle` in the plugins section:

   ```zsh
   plugins=(
       # all your enabled plugins
       dircycle
   )
   ```

2. Restart the shell or restart your Terminal session:

   ```console
   $ exec zsh
   $
   ```

## Usage Examples

Say you opened these directories on the terminal:

```console
~$ cd Projects
~/Projects$ cd Hacktoberfest
~/Projects/Hacktoberfest$ cd oh-my-zsh
~/Projects/Hacktoberfest/oh-my-zsh$ dirs -v
0       ~/Projects/Hacktoberfest/oh-my-zsh
1       ~/Projects/Hacktoberfest
2       ~/Projects
3       ~
```

By pressing <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>Left</kbd>, the current working directory or `$CWD` will be from `oh-my-zsh` to `Hacktoberfest`. Press it again and it will be at `Projects`.

And by pressing <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>Right</kbd>, the `$CWD` will be from `Projects` to `Hacktoberfest`. Press it again and it will be at `oh-my-zsh`.

Here's a example history table with the same accessed directories like above:

| Current `$CWD`  | Key press                                             | New `$CWD`      |
| --------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | --------------- |
| `oh-my-zsh`     | <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>Left</kbd>  | `Hacktoberfest` |
| `Hacktoberfest` | <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>Left</kbd>  | `Projects`      |
| `Projects`      | <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>Left</kbd>  | `~`             |
| `~`             | <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>Right</kbd> | `Projects`      |
| `Projects`      | <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>Right</kbd> | `Hacktoberfest` |
| `Hacktoberfest` | <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>Right</kbd> | `oh-my-zsh`     |
| `oh-my-zsh`     | <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>Right</kbd> | `~`             |

Note the last traversal, when pressing <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>Right</kbd> on a last known `$CWD`, it will change back to the first known `$CWD`, which in the example is `~`.

Here's an asciinema cast demonstrating the example above:

[![asciicast](https://asciinema.org/a/204406.png)](https://asciinema.org/a/204406)

## Functions

| Function             | Description                                                                                               |
| -------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `insert-cycledleft`  | Change `$CWD` to the previous known stack, binded on <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>Left</kbd> |
| `insert-cycledright` | Change `$CWD` to the next known stack, binded on <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>Right</kbd>    |

## Rebinding keys

You can bind these functions to other key sequences, as long as you know the bindkey sequence. For example, these commands bind to <kbd>Alt</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>Left</kbd> / <kbd>Right</kbd> in `xterm-256color`:

```zsh
bindkey '^[[1;4D' insert-cycledleft
bindkey '^[[1;4C' insert-cycledright
```

You can get the bindkey sequence by pressing <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>V</kbd>, then pressing the keyboard shortcut you want to use.