pick - Interactive Selection Menu

The pick module allows users to create interactive, searchable selection lists in the terminal. It is ideal for choosing files, processes, or custom options within a shell script.

When to Activate

• When a script needs to present a list of options for the user to select from.
• When choosing specific files from a large directory listing (ls | x pick).
• When performing multi-selection tasks within a terminal workflow (--limit).

Core Principles & Rules

• Piping Input: Automatically reads from stdin to generate the list.
• Customization: Supports setting the number of columns, rows, and selection limits.
• Output: Returns the selected item(s) to stdout, making it perfect for subshell execution.

Patterns & Examples

Select File

# Interactively select a file and view its status
stat `ls | x pick`

Multi-Selection

# Select up to two items from a list using Tab
ls | x pick --limit 2

Styled Menu

# Create a 2-column selection menu with a custom prompt
ls | x pick --col 2 --ask "Choose a project:"

Checklist

• Confirm the input data source (pipe or argument).
• Verify if single or multiple selection is required.
• Ensure the prompt message (--ask) is clear.