--- title: "Bash function to edit scripts faster" description: "I am often editing my own scripts as I develop them. I want to make a better workflow for working with scripts like this." date: 2022-05-10 published: false tags: - bash template: til --- I am often editing my own scripts as I develop them. I want to make a better workflow for working with scripts like this. ## Currently Currently I am combining `nvim` with a `which` subshell to etit these files like this. > for now lets use my todo command as an example ``` bash nvim `which todo` ``` ## First pass On first pass I made a bash function to do exactly what I have been doing. ```bash ewhich () {$EDITOR `which "$1"`} ``` The `$1` will pass the first input to the which subshell. Now we can edit our todo script like this. ```bash ewich todo ``` > Note, I use bash functions instead of aliases for things that require input. ## Final State This works fine for commands that are files, but not aliases or shell functions. Next I jumped to looking at the output of `command -V $1`. * if the command is not found, search for a file * if its a builtin, exit * if its an alias, open my `~/.alias file to that line` * if its a function, open my `~/.alias file to that line` ``` bash ewhich () { case `command -V $1` in "$1 not found") FILE=`fzf --prompt "$1 not found searching ..." --query $1` [ -z "$FILE" ] && echo "closing" || $EDITOR $FILE;; *"is a shell builtin"*) echo "$1 is a builtin";; *"is an alias"*) $EDITOR ~/.alias +/alias\ $1;; *"is a shell function"*) $EDITOR ~/.alias +/^$1;; *) $EDITOR `which "$1"`;; esac ``` ## a bit more ergo, and less readable To make it easier to type, at the sacrifice of readability for anyone watching I added a single character `e` alias to ewhich. So when I want to edit anything I just use `e`. ```bash alias e=ewhich ``` ## Results Here is a quick screencast of how it works.