git-branch-select.sh

.gitconfig

[alias]
  bs = git-branch-select.sh

README.md

Interactive and searchable branch checkout

1. Install fzf brew install fzf
2. Copy the script git-branch-select.sh somehwere in your PATH like ~/.local/bin in macos
3. Make is executable chomd +x path/to/git-branch-select.sh
4. Add a git alias in ~/.gitconfig with your path to exectute the script
5. git bs

git-branch-select.sh

#!/bin/bash

# Interactive git branch selector
# Shows local branches sorted by last modified date
# Use arrow keys to navigate, Enter to checkout

set -e

# Check if fzf is installed
if ! command -v fzf &> /dev/null; then
    echo "Error: fzf is required but not installed."
    echo "Install it with: brew install fzf (on macOS) or your package manager"
    exit 1
fi

# Get current branch to highlight it
current_branch=$(git branch --show-current)

# Get local branches sorted by last commit date (most recent first)
# Format the display line directly
branches=$(git for-each-ref --sort='-committerdate' --format='%(refname:short)|%(committerdate:relative)|%(subject)' refs/heads/ \
    | while IFS='|' read -r branch date subject; do
        if [ "$branch" = "$current_branch" ]; then
            printf "* %-50s (%s)\n" "$branch" "$date"
        else
            printf "  %-50s (%s)\n" "$branch" "$date"
        fi
    done)

# Use fzf to select branch interactively
# Use --nth to search only on the branch name part (before the parentheses)
selected=$(echo "$branches" | fzf \
    --height=40% \
    --layout=reverse \
    --border-label ' Git Branch Select ' \
    --border \
    --padding 1,1 \
    --input-label=' Select Branch ' \
    --no-info \
    --color 'border:#6699cc,label:#99ccff' \
    --preview-border=none \
    --preview-window=right:30%,noinfo \
    --preview='
        branch=$(echo {} | sed "s/^[* ] *//" | cut -d" " -f1)
        git log --oneline --graph --color=always -15 "$branch"
    ' \
    --header="↑↓ navigate • Enter: checkout • Esc: cancel" \
    --bind="enter:accept" \
    --no-multi \
    --nth=1 \
    --delimiter=' (' \
    --no-sort)

# Exit if no selection made (user pressed Esc)
if [ -z "$selected" ]; then
    echo "No branch selected. Exiting."
    exit 0
fi

# Extract branch name from selection
branch_name=$(echo "$selected" | sed 's/^[* ] *//' | cut -d' ' -f1)

# Don't checkout if already on the selected branch
if [ "$branch_name" = "$current_branch" ]; then
    echo "Already on branch '$branch_name'"
    exit 0
fi

# Checkout the selected branch
echo "Checking out branch: $branch_name"
git checkout "$branch_name"