Implementing Git Hook-Style functionality in Your Terminal
Tags: terminal, bash, programming, tutorial
Published: 2023-11-24 22:39:52

## Introduction

The power of the terminal lies in its flexibility and the ability to customize it to fit our unique workflows. Drawing inspiration from Git hooks, a powerful feature in Git that triggers custom scripts at certain points in its execution flow, we can similarly extend the functionality of our terminal. This article delves into how I used this concept to streamline my workflow, not just limited to Go development, but applicable to a range of tasks in the terminal.

## Understanding Git Hooks

Git hooks are scripts that Git executes before or after events such as `commit`, `push`, and `pull`. They are a vital part of automating tasks in the software development process. This concept can be extrapolated to the terminal, where we often perform repetitive tasks that could benefit from automation. For example, I automated the [prefixing of each of my commit messages with the ticket id](https://gist.github.com/drgsn/d0e7e9a7b64e220ccdd5fafda712e35a) and [checks that I don't commit any secrets in my repos](https://gist.github.com/drgsn/900559fc321b43d4a7ea14a8f4345c71) (not that well optimized).

## Identifying Repetitive Tasks

My journey began with recognizing a repetitive task: running `asdf reshim golang` every time after using `go install` or `go get`. This was necessary due to using `asdf` as a version manager for Go, but it was easy to forget. This scenario is just one example; think about your daily terminal use and identify similar repetitive commands.

## Implementing the hook

To automate this, I created a bash script named `.go_install_hook.sh`:

```bash
#!/bin/bash
# Display a custom pre-run message.
echo "Running a Go command..."

# Run the original 'go run' command.
go "$@"

# Check if the command is 'go run' or 'go install'
if [[ "$1" == "run" ]] || [[ "$1" == "install" ]]; then
  # If it's 'go run' or 'go install', run 'asdf reshim golang'
  echo "it's 'go run' or 'go install', running 'asdf reshim golang'"
  asdf reshim golang
fi
```

This script acts as a wrapper around your intended command, in my case `go whatever` allowing you to execute additional logic before or after the main command.

In the example above I print a statement, this is more for debugging purposes, after that I run the intended `go` command and at the end I check if the command was `go run` or `go install` and run the reshim command.

## Integrating with the Terminal

The script was then integrated into my daily workflow by aliasing the original command in my bash configuration (`.zshrc` in my case):

```bash
alias go="~/.go_install_hook.sh"
```

In my case, it was the `go` command, but this can be adapted to any command where you see a pattern of repetitive post-command actions.

## Expanding Beyond Go

While my initial use case was specific to `Go` and `asdf`, the principle applies universally. For instance, you could create a script that cleans up temporary files after compiling a program, or one that automatically pushes changes to a remote repository after a successful commit.

## Conclusion: A World of Possibilities

This approach opens up a world of possibilities in terminal automation. By emulating the functionality of Git hooks, we can create a more efficient, error-resistant, and customized command-line experience. This method's adaptability across various commands and workflows demonstrates the power of custom scripting in enhancing our daily interactions with the terminal.