How to use the command 'dirs' (with examples)
The ‘dirs’ command is a built-in command in the Bash shell that is used to display or manipulate the directory stack. The directory stack is a list of recently visited directories that can be manipulated with the ‘pushd’ and ‘popd’ commands. The ‘dirs’ command provides various options to display, manipulate, or clear the directory stack.
Use case 1: Display the directory stack with a space between each entry
Code:
dirs
Motivation: This use case is helpful when you want to quickly check the list of recently visited directories without any additional details. It provides a simple and space-separated list of directory paths.
Explanation: The ‘dirs’ command without any options displays the directory stack with a space between each entry. It shows the directory paths in the order they were visited, with the most recent directory being displayed at the leftmost position.
Example output:
/home/user/Documents /home/user/Downloads /home/user/Pictures
Use case 2: Display the directory stack with one entry per line
Code:
dirs -p
Motivation: Sometimes, you may want a more organized and readable display of the directory stack. This use case allows you to view each directory entry on a separate line, making it easier to read and understand.
Explanation: By adding the ‘-p’ option to the ‘dirs’ command, it displays each entry of the directory stack on a new line. This option can be helpful when the directory stack contains a large number of entries or when you need to scan through the list more efficiently.
Example output:
/home/user/Documents
/home/user/Downloads
/home/user/Pictures
Use case 3: Display only the nth entry in the directory stack, starting at 0
Code:
dirs +N
Motivation: Sometimes you may require information about a specific directory in the stack, especially if it is not the most recent one. Using this use case, you can quickly access and display the nth directory in the stack.
Explanation: By providing the ‘+N’ argument to the ‘dirs’ command, where N is the index of the desired entry, it displays only that particular entry from the directory stack. The index starts from 0, where 0 represents the most recent directory, 1 represents the second most recent directory, and so on.
Example output:
/home/user/Downloads
Use case 4: Clear the directory stack
Code:
dirs -c
Motivation: Clearing the directory stack can be useful when you want to remove all the directories stored in the stack and start fresh. It helps to keep the directory stack clean and avoid clutter.
Explanation: The ‘-c’ option instructs the ‘dirs’ command to clear the directory stack completely. This operation removes all the entries from the directory stack, resulting in an empty stack.
Example output: No output is generated when the directory stack is cleared.
