A command alias is a custom `zk` command which can run another `zk` command or an external program.
Declaring your own aliases is a great way to make your experience with `zk` easier and more familiar. With aliases, `zk` becomes a hub capable of launching all the programs you need to manage your [notebook](notebook.md).
Command aliases are declared in your [configuration file](config.md), under the `[alias]` section. They are executed with [your default shell](tool-shell.md), which allows you to:
When running an alias, the `ZK_NOTEBOOK_DIR` environment variable is set to the absolute path of the current notebook. You can use it to run commands working no matter the location of the working directory.
If you need to surround the path with quotes, make sure you use double quotes, otherwise environment variables will not be expanded.
### `xargs` formula
Calling an external program with a list of note paths using `xargs` is such a common use case that we can extract a reusable alias pattern.
```toml
alias = "zk list --quiet --format path --delimiter0 $@ | xargs -0 <EXTERNALCOMMAND>"
```
Find more details about these options in [Send notes for processing by other programs](external-processing.md).
## Collection of useful aliases
Here are a few aliases to get you started writing your own.
### Shortcuts for native commands
```toml
ls = "zk list $@"
ed = "zk edit $@"
n = "zk new $@"
```
### Edit the last modified note
Suffixing the `modified` sort criterion with `-` orders the notes by *descendent* modification date.
```toml
edlast = "zk edit --limit 1 --sort modified- $@"
```
### Edit the notes created during the last two weeks
This command uses `--interactive` to let the user select which notes to actually edit among the recent ones. Note the use of human friendly language for `--created-after`'s argument.
In this case, additional arguments do not necessarily make sense, so we omit the trailing `$@`.
Use this alias to send a list of space-separated file paths matching the given [filtering criteria](note-filtering.md) to another program. See [send notes for processing by other programs](external-processing.md) for more details.
### List paths to be used in a parent `zk` command
Similarly, use this alias to expand filtered note paths inside a parent `zk` command taking a comma-separated paths list.
```toml
inline = "zk list --quiet --format {{path}} --delimiter , $@"
```
Examples of use:
```sh
# List the notes which have at least one link pointing to them (i.e. not orphans).
$ zk list --exclude "`zk inline --orphan`"
# List the notes which are linked by at least one note from the journal/ directory.
$ zk list --linked-by "`zk inline journal`"
```
### Print a random note
Increasing serendipity while using your notebook is important to spark new ideas. The `random` sort criterion is the key to this alias.
```toml
lucky = "zk list --quiet --format full --sort random --limit 1"
```
### Create a note from a free title
If you often create notes with `zk new --title "An interesting concept"`, you will like this alias. Using `"$*"`, you do not need to quote the arguments anymore.
```toml
nt = 'zk new --title "$*"'
```
Usage: `zk nt An interesting concept`
No more forgotten quotes!
### Create a note and save its path into the clipboard (macOS)
Build upon the previous alias, but instead of editing the created note it will copy the created note's path into the macOS clipboard.
```toml
ntc = 'zk new --print-path --title "$*" | pbcopy'
```
### Print and sort the word count of selected notes
This will list the notes and their word count sorted by increasing word count. It is useful to spot flimsy notes that you could flesh out.
```toml
wc = "zk list --format '{{word-count}}\t{{title}}' --sort word-count $@"
```
Usage:
```sh
$ zk wc
4 Integration with fzf
5 Searching and filtering notes
63 Setting your default editor
86 Anatomy of a notebook
...
```
### Print the backlinks of a note
This is such a useful command, that an alias might be helpful.
This alias can help you look for potential new links to establish, by listing every note whose title is mentioned in the note you are working on but which are not already linked to it.
This alias does not call `zk` at all! This shows how you can use `zk` as a hub for everything related to your notes.
```toml
save = 'git add . && git commit -m "$*"'
```
Usage: `zk save Expand the note on command aliases`
### Copy/backup selected notes
A more complex example backing up the notes matching the given filtering criteria in a target directory. It creates intermediate directories if needed.
`$1` and `${@:2}` are used to split the arguments between the first one which will be the destination directory, and the remaining arguments which will be used as filtering options.
