shell

README

Shell Integration

This package provides shell integration for the try CLI tool, enabling seamless interaction with the TUI output.

Overview

The shell integration works by wrapping the try binary in a shell function that:

1. Executes the actual try binary with the exec subcommand
2. Captures stdout (which contains shell commands like cd /path/to/dir)
3. Evaluates the captured output in the current shell session
4. Redirects stderr to /dev/tty so TUI output is visible

Supported Shells

• Bash - POSIX-compatible shell
• Zsh - Enhanced bash-compatible shell
• Fish - User-friendly shell with different syntax

Installation

Quick Setup

# Bash/Zsh
eval "$(try init)"

# Fish
try init | source

Permanent Setup

Add the eval line to your shell's configuration file:

Bash (~/.bashrc or ~/.bash_profile):

eval "$(try init ~/src/tries)"

Zsh (~/.zshrc):

eval "$(try init ~/src/tries)"

Fish (~/.config/fish/config.fish):

try init ~/src/tries | source

Usage

Default Path

Uses $TRY_PATH environment variable or defaults to ~/src/tries:

try init

Custom Path

Specify a custom base path:

try init ~/my/custom/tries

Explicit Shell Type

Force a specific shell type (useful in edge cases):

try init --shell bash
try init --shell zsh
try init --shell fish

How It Works

Shell Function Template (Bash/Zsh)

try() {
    local result
    result=$(command try exec "$@" 2>/dev/tty)
    if [[ $? -eq 0 ]]; then
        eval "$result"
    fi
}

Shell Function Template (Fish)

function try
    set result (command try exec $argv 2>/dev/tty)
    if test $status -eq 0
        eval $result
    end
end

Key Components

1. command try exec - Bypasses the shell function and calls the actual binary
2. 2>/dev/tty - Redirects stderr (TUI output) to the terminal
3. eval "$result" - Executes the captured stdout (e.g., cd commands)
4. Exit code check - Only evaluates output if the command succeeded

API

Functions

DetectShell(shellEnv string) ShellType

Detects the shell type from the $SHELL environment variable.

shellType := shell.DetectShell("/bin/zsh")
// Returns: ShellZsh

GenerateBashInit(basePath string) string

Generates the bash shell integration script.

script := shell.GenerateBashInit("/home/user/tries")
// Returns: bash function + export statement

GenerateZshInit(basePath string) string

Generates the zsh shell integration script.

script := shell.GenerateZshInit("/home/user/tries")
// Returns: zsh function + export statement

GenerateFishInit(basePath string) string

Generates the fish shell integration script.

script := shell.GenerateFishInit("/home/user/tries")
// Returns: fish function + set statement

GenerateInit(shellType ShellType, basePath string) (string, error)

Generates the appropriate shell init script based on shell type.

script, err := shell.GenerateInit(shell.ShellBash, "/home/user/tries")
if err != nil {
    return err
}
fmt.Print(script)

Environment Variables

• TRY_PATH - Base directory for tries (set by the init script)
• SHELL - Current shell path (used for auto-detection)

Testing

Run the test suite:

go test ./internal/shell/...

Run with verbose output:

go test ./internal/shell/... -v

Examples

Auto-detect Shell

$ eval "$(try init)"
$ try
# TUI appears, select a directory
$ pwd
/Users/username/src/tries/my-experiment

Force Bash on Zsh

$ eval "$(try init --shell bash)"

Custom Path

$ eval "$(try init ~/projects/experiments)"
$ echo $TRY_PATH
/Users/username/projects/experiments

Integration with TUI

The TUI (implemented separately) will:

1. Accept the exec subcommand
2. Display the interactive interface on stderr
3. Output shell commands to stdout when the user makes a selection
4. Exit with code 0 on success

Example TUI output flow:

stderr: [Interactive TUI appears]
stdout: cd /path/to/selected/directory
exit code: 0

The shell function captures stdout and executes it, resulting in the shell changing to the selected directory.

Documentation

Index

• func GenerateBashInit(basePath string) string
• func GenerateFishInit(basePath string) string
• func GenerateInit(shellType ShellType, basePath string) (string, error)
• func GenerateZshInit(basePath string) string
• type ShellType
  • func DetectShell(shellEnv string) ShellType

Functions

func GenerateBashInit

func GenerateBashInit(basePath string) string

GenerateBashInit generates the bash shell function for try integration

func GenerateFishInit

func GenerateFishInit(basePath string) string

GenerateFishInit generates the fish shell function for try integration

func GenerateInit

func GenerateInit(shellType ShellType, basePath string) (string, error)

GenerateInit generates the appropriate shell init script based on shell type

func GenerateZshInit

func GenerateZshInit(basePath string) string

GenerateZshInit generates the zsh shell function for try integration

Types

type ShellType

type ShellType int

ShellType represents the type of shell

const (
	ShellUnknown ShellType = iota
	ShellBash
	ShellZsh
	ShellFish
)

func DetectShell

func DetectShell(shellEnv string) ShellType

DetectShell detects the shell type from the SHELL environment variable