list branches (refs, really) ordered by "recency"

git-branch--list--recent.rb

#!/usr/bin/env ruby
# frozen_string_literal: true

#
# INSTALLATION
#
# ln -s ${PWD}/git-branch--list--recent.rb $(brew --prefix)/bin/git-branch--list--recent
# sudo ln -s ${PWD}/git-branch--list--recent.rb /usr/local/bin/git-branch--list--recent
#
# CONFIGURATION
#
# git config --global alias.blr branch--list--recent
#
# INSPIRATION
#
# https://github.com/paulirish/git-recent
#

nl = '%0a' # ASCII NEWLINE
delim = '%07' # ASCII BELL

head = '%(if)%(HEAD)%(then)%(end)'     # emoji prefix for current branch
empty = '%(color:black) %(color:reset)' # to make `column` work correctly

pattern, deref = if ARGV.delete('--tags')
                   ['refs/tags', '*']
                 elsif ARGV.delete('--all')
                   'refs/heads refs/remotes'
                 elsif ARGV.delete('--remotes')
                   'refs/remotes'
                 else
                   'refs/heads'
                 end

branch_name = '%(refname:short)'
branch_name = "%(color:yellow)#{branch_name}%(color:reset)"

object_name = '%(objectname:short)'
object_name = "%(color:red)#{object_name}%(color:reset)"

commit_date = "%(#{deref}committerdate:relative)"
commit_date = "%(color:bold green)(#{commit_date})%(color:reset)"

author_name = "%(#{deref}authorname)"
author_name = "%(color:bold blue)#{author_name}%(color:reset)"

commit_subject = '%(contents:subject)'

format = "#{head} #{branch_name}#{delim}"
format = "#{format}#{object_name} #{commit_date} #{author_name}"
format = "#{format}#{nl}#{empty}#{delim}#{commit_subject}"
format = "#{format}#{nl}#{empty}#{delim}" # empty separator line

require 'shellwords'

cmd = <<-"EOCMD"
  git for-each-ref \
  --color=always \
  --sort=-committerdate \
  --format="#{format}" \
  #{pattern} #{ARGV.shelljoin} | column -t -s $'\a' | less --RAW-CONTROL-CHARS
EOCMD

Kernel.exec(cmd)

# That's all Folks!

git-branch--list--recent.sh

#!/usr/bin/env bash

#
# INSTALLATION
#
# ln -s ${PWD}/git-branch--list--recent.sh $(brew --prefix)/bin/git-branch--list--recent
# sudo ln -s ${PWD}/git-branch--list--recent.sh /usr/local/bin/git-branch--list--recent
#
# CONFIGURATION
#
# git config --global alias.blr branch--list--recent
#
# INSPIRATION
#
# https://github.com/paulirish/git-recent
#

NL='%0a' ; # ASCII NEWLINE
DELIM='%07' ; # ASCII BELL

HEAD="%(if)%(HEAD)%(then)%(end)" ;    # emoji prefix for current branch
EMPTY='%(color:black) %(color:reset)' ; # to make `column` work correctly

case $1 in
	--all)
		PATTERN='refs/heads refs/remotes' ;
		DEREF='' ;
		shift ;
		;;
	--remotes)
		PATTERN='refs/remotes' ;
		DEREF='' ;
		shift ;
		;;
	--tags)
		PATTERN='refs/tags' ;
		DEREF='*' ;
		shift ;
		;;
	*)
		PATTERN='refs/heads' ;
		DEREF='' ;
		;;
esac

BRANCH_NAME="%(color:yellow)%(refname:short)%(color:reset)" ;
OBJECT_NAME="%(color:red)%(objectname:short)%(color:reset)" ;
COMMIT_DATE="%(color:bold green)(%(${DEREF}committerdate:relative))%(color:reset)" ;
AUTHOR_NAME="%(color:bold blue)%(${DEREF}authorname)%(color:reset)" ;

COMMIT_SUBJECT='%(contents:subject)' ;

FORMAT="${HEAD} ${BRANCH_NAME}${DELIM}" ;
FORMAT="${FORMAT}${OBJECT_NAME} ${COMMIT_DATE} ${AUTHOR_NAME}" ;
FORMAT="${FORMAT}${NL}${EMPTY}${DELIM}${COMMIT_SUBJECT}" ;
FORMAT="${FORMAT}${NL}${EMPTY}${DELIM}" ; # empty separator line

git for-each-ref \
	--color=always \
	--sort=-committerdate \
	--format="${FORMAT}" \
	"${PATTERN}" "$@" | column -t -s $'\a' | less --RAW-CONTROL-CHARS ;

# That's all Folks!