Course/Power User Techniques/Aliases

Aliases

Create shortcuts for long or frequently used commands with alias.

If you find yourself typing the same long command over and over, aliases are the answer. An alias is a custom shortcut that expands into a longer command. Instead of typing ls -la --color=auto every time, you can create an alias like ll that does the same thing in two keystrokes.

You create an alias with the alias command. The syntax is alias name='command'. Once defined, typing the alias name runs the full command. Aliases are one of the first things experienced developers set up when configuring a new machine.

alias ll='ls -la'           # Detailed file listing
alias gs='git status'        # Quick git status
alias ..='cd ..'             # Go up one directory
alias cls='clear'            # Shorter clear command

Like variables set with export, aliases created in the terminal only last for the current session. To make them permanent, you add them to your shell's configuration file (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, etc.). Many developers maintain a collection of aliases they carry from machine to machine.

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To see all your current aliases, just type alias with no arguments. To remove an alias, use unalias name. If an alias conflicts with a real command, you can bypass it by using the full path (e.g., /bin/ls) or prefixing with a backslash (\ls).

Some popular aliases used by developers worldwide include shortcuts for git commands (alias gc='git commit'), navigation (alias projects='cd ~/projects'), and safety nets (alias rm='rm -i' to always confirm before deleting).

WIN

PowerShell uses Set-Alias (e.g., Set-Alias ll Get-ChildItem) or functions for more complex aliases. Command Prompt uses doskey (e.g., doskey ll=dir /a $*). In WSL, the bash alias command works as shown.

Try creating an alias. Use alias to define a shortcut for any command you like. For example, create an alias for a directory listing.

alias ll='ls -la'

Practice