z cheatsheet

Using z on macOS is straightforward once installed. Follow these steps to get started and use z effectively:

1. Install z

Using Homebrew (Recommended):

Open your terminal. Run:

brew install z

2. Configure z

After installation, z needs to be sourced in your shell configuration file. For Zsh (default shell on macOS):

Open your .zshrc file for editing:

nano ~/.zshrc

Add the following line to load z:

. /opt/homebrew/etc/profile.d/z.sh

Replace /opt/homebrew with the correct path if you’re using Intel-based macOS (default Homebrew path is /usr/local).

Save and close the file (Ctrl + O, Enter, then Ctrl + X).

Reload your shell configuration:

    source ~/.zshrc

3. Start Using z

z will automatically track the directories you visit using the cd command. Over time, it learns and prioritizes frequently and recently visited directories. Basic Commands:

Jump to a directory:

z <partial_name>

Example: If you have a directory ~/projects/work, you can jump to it by:

z work

List matching directories: If multiple matches exist, use the -l option to list them:

z -l <partial_name>

Example:

z -l projects

Remove a directory from z’s database:

z -x <directory_path>

Example:

z -x ~/old_project

Show z’s database:

    z -l

4. Tips for Effective Usage

Frequent Use: The more you navigate with cd, the smarter z becomes. It ranks directories based on frequency and recency of use. Combine with Other Commands: You can chain z commands with other commands. For example:

z projects && ls

This jumps to the directory and lists its contents.

5. Optional: Improve z with zoxide

For better performance and extended features, you can install zoxide, a modern version of z. Install zoxide:

brew install zoxide

Add zoxide to Zsh:

Edit your .zshrc:

nano ~/.zshrc

Add the following line:

eval "$(zoxide init zsh)"

Reload your shell:

source ~/.zshrc

Now you can use zoxide the same way as z!

Zoxide vs Z

zoxide replaces z; it is not designed to work alongside z. They are both tools for directory jumping, but zoxide is a modern reimplementation of z with better performance and additional features.

Here’s a breakdown of the differences and why you might choose one over the other:

Key Differences Between z and zoxide

Feature	z	zoxide
Installation	Simple, but relies on shell scripts.	Easy, modern binary.
Performance	Slower as it uses a shell-based database.	Faster due to compiled Rust backend.
Shell Support	Works for Bash, Zsh, etc.	Works for Bash, Zsh, Fish, etc.
Command Usage	Requires cd usage for tracking.	Tracks directories automatically.
Extra Features	Basic directory jumping.	Adds aliases, interactive search (fzf).
Customizability	Limited.	Highly customizable.