Worktree Manager - Bash Version

This is a bash adaptation of the zsh worktree manager with improved flexibility and directory structure. The command is named wt (short for "worktree") to avoid conflicts with the Unix w command.

Key Improvements

1. Works anywhere in the filesystem - No longer restricted to ~/projects
2. Sibling .worktrees directory - Each project's worktrees are stored in a .worktrees subdirectory at the same level as the project
3. Bash compatibility - Fully rewritten for bash with proper bash completion
4. Project-aware - Automatically detects the current git repository

Directory Structure

Instead of the original centralised structure:

~/projects/
├── my-app/              
├── another-project/     
└── worktrees/           # Centralised worktrees
    ├── my-app/
    └── another-project/

This version uses a sibling structure that works anywhere:

/any/path/to/projects/
├── my-app/              (main git repo)
├── another-project/     (main git repo)
└── .worktrees/          # Sibling directory for all worktrees
    ├── my-app/
    │   ├── feature-x/   (worktree)
    │   └── bugfix-y/    (worktree)
    └── another-project/
        └── new-feature/ (worktree)

Installation

1. Save the script somewhere accessible:

   mkdir -p ~/bin
   cp worktree-manager.bash ~/bin/
   chmod +x ~/bin/worktree-manager.bash

2. Add to your ~/.bashrc:

   source ~/bin/worktree-manager.bash

3. Reload your shell:

   source ~/.bashrc

Usage

Basic Commands

# From within any git repository:
wt feature-x                      # Create/switch to feature-x worktree
wt feature-x git status           # Run git status in feature-x worktree
wt feature-x code .               # Open VS Code in worktree

# List worktrees
wt --list                         # List current repo's worktrees
wt --list-all                     # List all sibling repos' worktrees

# Remove worktree
wt --rm feature-x                 # Remove feature-x worktree

# Work with other projects (from anywhere)
wt --project myapp feature-y      # Work with myapp's feature-y worktree

Examples

1. Create a new worktree and switch to it:

   cd /path/to/my-project
   wt new-feature
   # Creates: /path/to/.worktrees/my-project/new-feature
   # Branch: <username>/new-feature

2. Run commands in a worktree without changing directory:

   wt new-feature npm test
   wt new-feature git commit -m "Add feature"

3. Work with multiple projects:

   # From any project directory
   wt --project frontend header-update
   wt --project backend api-refactor

Differences from Original

Feature	Original (zsh)	This Version (bash)
Shell	zsh only	bash
Location	Fixed to ~/projects	Works anywhere
Worktree storage	~/projects/worktrees/<project>	<parent>/.worktrees/<project>
Project switching	w <project> <worktree>	wt --project <project> <worktree>
Current repo	Must specify project	Auto-detects from PWD
List all worktrees	w --list	wt --list-all
List current repo	N/A	wt --list

Branch Naming Convention

New worktrees automatically create branches with the format: <username>/<worktree-name>

For example, if your username is john and you create a worktree called feature-x, the branch will be john/feature-x.

Tips

• The .worktrees directory is created at the same level as your git repositories
• You can work with any project's worktrees using --project flag
• Tab completion works for worktree names and project names
• The script automatically detects if you're in a git repository

Troubleshooting

"Not in a git repository" error:

• Make sure you're inside a git repository or use --project flag

Tab completion not working:

• Ensure you've sourced the script in your .bashrc
• Restart your terminal completely

Worktree creation fails:

• Check you have write permissions in the parent directory
• Ensure the branch name doesn't already exist