If you spend significant time in the terminal, you've likely typed cd ~/Work/ev-chargers/src/modules/users/controllers more times than you'd care to admit. What if there's a tool that makes this tedious task obsolete?

Meet zsh-z - a smart directory jumping tool I've relied on for years and genuinely can't work without.

What is zsh-z?

zsh-z is a native Zsh implementation of the popular z command. It's an intelligent directory navigation tool that learns from your habits, allowing you to jump to frequently-used directories with just a few keystrokes.

Instead of typing full paths like:

cd ~/Work/ev-chargers

You simply type:

z ev

And it intelligently navigates to the directory you visit most often that matches your query.

Why I Love It

1. It Gets Smarter Over Time

zsh-z employs a "frecency" algorithm (combining frequency and recency) to rank directories. The more frequently you visit a directory and the more recently you've been there, the higher it ranks. This means it automatically adapts to your evolving workflow.

Under the hood, zsh-z maintains a database tracking visit counts and timestamps for each directory. This time-based approach enables surprisingly accurate predictions. For instance, a directory you visited 100 times last month but haven't touched recently will rank lower than one you've been actively working in this week.

2. Fuzzy Matching That Just Works

You don't need to remember exact directory names. If you've been working in ~/Work/ev-chargers/src/modules/users/controllers, you can jump there with:

z controllers  # matches "controllers"
z ev users     # matches paths containing both words
z chargers     # matches "ev-chargers"

3. Zero Configuration Required

After installation, it works immediately. No configuration files to edit, no settings to tweak. It begins learning your patterns from the first use.

4. Native Zsh Performance

Unlike the original bash version, zsh-z is written entirely in Zsh, making it exceptionally fast with no external dependencies.

Pro Tips

Check Your Most Visited Directories

z -l

This displays your frecency-ranked directory list. It's fascinating to see which projects actually consume your time!

Leverage Tab Completion

zsh-z supports tab completion for viewing all matches:

z proj<TAB>

Maintain a Clean Database

Over time, you may accumulate entries for deleted directories:

z -x /path/to/deleted/dir  # Remove specific entry
z -c                        # Clean up all deleted directories

The Bottom Line

After years of daily use, zsh-z has become second nature. I often forget that other developers don't have it installed and wonder how they navigate their filesystems efficiently.

If you spend any considerable time in the terminal, give zsh-z a try for a week. I'm confident you won't look back.

Links

• GitHub Repository
• Original z tool (bash version)