feat: add chooser file mechanism for shell directory switching

Replace stdout-based path capture with a temporary chooser file that the
shell wrapper reads after gitnow exits. Commands that select a directory
write to the file; commands that don't (e.g. project delete) leave it
empty, so the shell only cd's when appropriate. The chooser file path
can be set via --chooser-file flag or GITNOW_CHOOSER_FILE env var.

crates/gitnow/include/shell/zsh.sh

@@ -4,19 +4,30 @@ function git-now {
     nohup gitnow update > /dev/null 2>&1 &
   )
 
-  # Find the repository of choice
-  choice=$(gitnow  "$@" --no-shell)
-    if [[ $? -ne 0 ]]; then
-    return $?
+  # Create a temporary chooser file
+  local chooser_file
+  chooser_file="$(mktemp)"
+
+  # Run gitnow with the chooser file
+  GITNOW_CHOOSER_FILE="$chooser_file" gitnow "$@"
+  local exit_code=$?
+
+  if [[ $exit_code -ne 0 ]]; then
+    rm -f "$chooser_file"
+    return $exit_code
   fi
 
-  # Enter local repository path
-  cd "$(echo "$choice" | tail --lines 1)"
+  # If the chooser file has content, cd to the chosen path
+  if [[ -s "$chooser_file" ]]; then
+    local target
+    target="$(cat "$chooser_file")"
+    rm -f "$chooser_file"
+    cd "$target"
+  else
+    rm -f "$chooser_file"
+  fi
 }
 
 function gn {
   git-now "$@"
-  if [[ $? -ne 0 ]]; then
-    return $?
-  fi
 }

crates/gitnow/src/chooser.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+
+/// Manages an optional chooser file that the shell wrapper reads after gitnow
+/// exits.  When active, the selected directory path is written to the file
+/// instead of being printed to stdout.
+#[derive(Debug, Default)]
+pub struct Chooser {
+    path: Option<PathBuf>,
+}
+
+impl Chooser {
+    pub fn new(path: PathBuf) -> Self {
+        Self { path: Some(path) }
+    }
+
+    /// Returns `true` when a chooser file has been configured.
+    pub fn is_active(&self) -> bool {
+        self.path.is_some()
+    }
+
+    /// Write `dir` to the chooser file.  If no chooser file is configured the
+    /// path is printed to stdout (preserving the old `--no-shell` behaviour).
+    pub fn set(&self, dir: &Path) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+        match &self.path {
+            Some(chooser_path) => {
+                std::fs::write(chooser_path, dir.display().to_string())?;
+            }
+            None => {
+                println!("{}", dir.display());
+            }
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}

crates/gitnow/src/commands/project.rs

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ use std::sync::Arc;
 use crate::{
     app::App,
     cache::load_repositories,
+    chooser::Chooser,
     custom_command::CustomCommandApp,
     interactive::{InteractiveApp, Searchable},
     shell::ShellApp,
@@ -256,16 +257,16 @@ fn select_project(
 // --- Command implementations ---
 
 impl ProjectCommand {
-    pub async fn execute(&mut self, app: &'static App) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    pub async fn execute(&mut self, app: &'static App, chooser: &Chooser) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         match self.command.take() {
-            Some(ProjectSubcommand::Create(mut create)) => create.execute(app).await,
+            Some(ProjectSubcommand::Create(mut create)) => create.execute(app, chooser).await,
             Some(ProjectSubcommand::Add(mut add)) => add.execute(app).await,
             Some(ProjectSubcommand::Delete(mut delete)) => delete.execute(app).await,
-            None => self.open_existing(app).await,
+            None => self.open_existing(app, chooser).await,
         }
     }
 
-    async fn open_existing(&self, app: &'static App) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    async fn open_existing(&self, app: &'static App, chooser: &Chooser) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         let projects_dir = get_projects_dir(app);
         let projects = list_subdirectories(&projects_dir)?;
 
@@ -301,10 +302,10 @@ impl ProjectCommand {
                 .ok_or(anyhow::anyhow!("no project selected"))?,
         };
 
-        if !self.no_shell {
+        if !self.no_shell && !chooser.is_active() {
             app.shell().spawn_shell_at(&project.path).await?;
         } else {
-            println!("{}", project.path.display());
+            chooser.set(&project.path)?;
         }
 
         Ok(())
@@ -312,7 +313,7 @@ impl ProjectCommand {
 }
 
 impl ProjectCreateCommand {
-    async fn execute(&mut self, app: &'static App) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    async fn execute(&mut self, app: &'static App, chooser: &Chooser) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         let name = match self.name.take() {
             Some(n) => n,
             None => {
@@ -399,10 +400,10 @@ impl ProjectCreateCommand {
             selected_repos.len()
         );
 
-        if !self.no_shell {
+        if !self.no_shell && !chooser.is_active() {
             app.shell().spawn_shell_at(&project_path).await?;
         } else {
-            println!("{}", project_path.display());
+            chooser.set(&project_path)?;
         }
 
         Ok(())

crates/gitnow/src/commands/root.rs

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ use std::{collections::BTreeMap, io::IsTerminal};
 use crate::{
     app::App,
     cache::{load_repositories, CacheApp},
+    chooser::Chooser,
     components::inline_command::InlineCommand,
     custom_command::CustomCommandApp,
     fuzzy_matcher::{FuzzyMatcher, FuzzyMatcherApp},
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ impl RootCommand {
         shell: bool,
         force_refresh: bool,
         force_cache_update: bool,
+        chooser: &Chooser,
     ) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         tracing::debug!("executing");
 
@@ -117,16 +119,7 @@ impl RootCommand {
             self.app.shell().spawn_shell(&repo).await?;
         } else {
             tracing::info!("skipping shell for repo: {}", &repo.to_rel_path().display());
-            println!(
-                "{}",
-                self.app
-                    .config
-                    .settings
-                    .projects
-                    .directory
-                    .join(repo.to_rel_path())
-                    .display()
-            );
+            chooser.set(&self.app.config.settings.projects.directory.join(repo.to_rel_path()))?;
         }
 
         Ok(())

crates/gitnow/src/commands/worktree.rs

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ use std::io::IsTerminal;
 use crate::{
     app::App,
     cache::load_repositories,
+    chooser::Chooser,
     components::inline_command::InlineCommand,
     fuzzy_matcher::FuzzyMatcherApp,
     interactive::{InteractiveApp, StringItem},
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ pub struct WorktreeCommand {
 }
 
 impl WorktreeCommand {
-    pub async fn execute(&mut self, app: &'static App) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    pub async fn execute(&mut self, app: &'static App, chooser: &Chooser) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         // Step 1: Load repositories
         let repositories = load_repositories(app, !self.no_cache).await?;
 
@@ -142,10 +143,10 @@ impl WorktreeCommand {
         }
 
         // Step 7: Enter shell or print path
-        if !self.no_shell {
+        if !self.no_shell && !chooser.is_active() {
             app.shell().spawn_shell_at(&worktree_path).await?;
         } else {
-            println!("{}", worktree_path.display());
+            chooser.set(&worktree_path)?;
         }
 
         Ok(())

crates/gitnow/src/main.rs

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ use tracing_subscriber::EnvFilter;
 mod app;
 mod cache;
 mod cache_codec;
+pub mod chooser;
 mod commands;
 mod components;
 mod config;
@@ -48,6 +49,12 @@ struct Command {
     #[arg(long = "no-shell", default_value = "false")]
     no_shell: bool,
 
+    /// Path to a chooser file; if set, the selected directory path is written
+    /// to this file instead of spawning a shell or printing to stdout.
+    /// Can also be set via the GITNOW_CHOOSER_FILE environment variable.
+    #[arg(long = "chooser-file", global = true, env = "GITNOW_CHOOSER_FILE")]
+    chooser_file: Option<PathBuf>,
+
     #[arg(long = "force-refresh", default_value = "false")]
     force_refresh: bool,
 
@@ -96,6 +103,16 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 
     let app = app::App::new_static(config).await?;
 
+    // When a chooser file is provided, it implies --no-shell behaviour:
+    // the selected path is written to the file and no interactive shell is
+    // spawned.  The calling shell wrapper is responsible for reading the
+    // file and changing directory.
+    let chooser = cli
+        .chooser_file
+        .map(chooser::Chooser::new)
+        .unwrap_or_default();
+    let no_shell = cli.no_shell || chooser.is_active();
+
     match cli.command {
         Some(cmd) => match cmd {
             Commands::Init(mut shell) => {
@@ -108,10 +125,10 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
                 clone.execute(app).await?;
             }
             Commands::Worktree(mut wt) => {
-                wt.execute(app).await?;
+                wt.execute(app, &chooser).await?;
             }
             Commands::Project(mut project) => {
-                project.execute(app).await?;
+                project.execute(app, &chooser).await?;
             }
         },
         None => {
@@ -120,9 +137,10 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
                     cli.search.as_ref(),
                     !cli.no_cache,
                     !cli.no_clone,
-                    !cli.no_shell,
+                    !no_shell,
                     cli.force_refresh,
                     cli.force_cache_update,
+                    &chooser,
                 )
                 .await?;
         }