experimental directory navigation

README

# cd to the shortest, first, non-hidden dir under $root matching all args
#
# USE:
#    alias alias=root=root __h [--]  
#
# DESCRIPTION
#
#   This provides a helper function (__h) meant to be used with aliases to do
#   smart directory navigation
#
#   The function takes a variable called $root, and uses find to get a sorted
#   list of all non-hidden directories under $root. Then, it finds the shortest
#   dir that matches all arguments and changes location to it. In the case that
#   multiple directories of the same length match, we will cd the first in
#   alphabetical order.
#
#   If the -- argument is provided, $root is taken to be whichever directory
#   you are in one level under root. This is to help with cases where one may
#   have many similar subtrees under a directory. See EXAMPLES for a more
#   concrete explanation.
#
# EXAMPLES:
#
#   # root is /home, doesn't matter where you are located
#   alias h="root="/home" __h"
#
#   # root is current directory
#   alias hh="root="." __h"
#
#   # root is /projects/*/, where * is the subdir of /projects you are in.
#   # if you are not in a subdir of root, this alias will do nothing
#   alias proj="root='/projects' __h --"

h.sh

# cd to the shortest, first, non-hidden dir under $root matching all args
# careful running it on huge trees :)

# some aliases to get you started
alias h="root="$HOME" __h" # search $HOME
alias hh="root="." __h"    # search $PWD

# you aren't expected to use this function directly. use aliases and pass $root.
__h() {
 [ "$root" ] || return
 if [ "$1" = "--" ]; then
  # multiple trees under root - only search current tree
  local root=${root%/}/; local p=$(pwd); p=${p#$root}; p=$root${p%%/*}
  [ "$p" != "./" -a "$root" = "$p" ] && return
  shift
 else
  # single tree
  local p="$root"
 fi
 [ ! "$1" ] && cd "$p" && return
 local cd="$(find "$p" -type d ! -path "*/.*" 2>/dev/null | sort | awk -v q="$*" '
  BEGIN { split(q,a," ") }
  {
   for( i in a ) if( $0 !~ a[i] ) $1 = ""
   if( $1 ) if( l ) { if( length($0) < length(l) ) l = $0 } else l = $0
  }
  END { print l }
 ')"
 [ "$cd" ] && cd "$cd"
}