new git branching strategy and linking

common/general/shell/branch.func.sh

@@ -1,16 +1,7 @@
 branch() {
   local branch_name=${1:-}
-  if [ -z "$branch_name" ]; then
-    echo "Usage: branch <name>" >&2
-    return 2
-  fi
-
-  # branch <name> — create or open a worktree for <name>
-  # This function will change directory into the selected worktree so the
-  # caller's shell is moved into it.
-
-  local xdg=${XDG_DATA_HOME:-$HOME/.local/share}
 
+  # Determine repo root early so we can run branches inside it
   local common_dir
   if ! common_dir=$(git rev-parse --git-common-dir 2>/dev/null); then
     echo "Not inside a git repository." >&2
@@ -25,6 +16,36 @@ branch() {
     return 1
   fi
 
+  # If no branch was provided, present an interactive selector combining local and remote branches
+  if [ -z "$branch_name" ]; then
+    if ! command -v fzf >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+      echo "Usage: branch <name>" >&2
+      return 2
+    fi
+
+    local branches_list_raw branches_list selection
+    if declare -f local_branches >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+      branches_list_raw=$(local_branches 2>/dev/null || true; remote_branches 2>/dev/null || true)
+    else
+      branches_list_raw=$(git -C "$repo_dir" branch --format='%(refname:short)' 2>/dev/null || true; git -C "$repo_dir" branch -r --format='%(refname:short)' 2>/dev/null | sed 's#^.*/##' || true)
+    fi
+
+    branches_list=$(printf "%s
+" "$branches_list_raw" | awk '!seen[$0]++')
+    if [ -z "$branches_list" ]; then
+      echo "No branches found." >&2
+      return 1
+    fi
+
+    selection=$(printf "%s\n" "$branches_list" | fzf --height=40% --prompt="Select branch: ")
+    if [ -z "$selection" ]; then
+      echo "No branch selected." >&2
+      return 1
+    fi
+
+    branch_name="$selection"
+  fi
+
   local repo_base repo_hash default_branch
   repo_base=$(basename "$repo_dir")
   repo_hash=$(printf "%s" "$repo_dir" | sha1sum | awk '{print $1}')

common/general/shell/link_ignored.func.sh

@@ -38,24 +38,26 @@ EOF
     return 2
   fi
 
-  local -a candidates
-  IFS=$'\0' read -r -d '' -a candidates < <(git -C "$repo_root" ls-files --others --ignored --exclude-standard -z || true)
+  local -a candidates=()
+  while IFS= read -r -d '' file; do
+    candidates+=("$file")
+  done < <(git -C "$repo_root" ls-files --others --ignored --exclude-standard -z || true)
 
   if [ ${#candidates[@]} -eq 0 ]; then
     echo "No untracked/ignored files found in $repo_root"
     return 0
   fi
 
-  declare -A _seen
   local -a tops=()
   for c in "${candidates[@]}"; do
     c="${c%/}"
     local top="${c%%/*}"
     [ -z "$top" ] && continue
-    if [ -z "${_seen[$top]:-}" ]; then
-      _seen[$top]=1
-      tops+=("$top")
-    fi
+    local found=0
+    for existing in "${tops[@]}"; do
+      [ "$existing" = "$top" ] && found=1 && break
+    done
+    [ "$found" -eq 0 ] && tops+=("$top")
   done
 
   if [ ${#tops[@]} -eq 0 ]; then
@@ -89,7 +91,12 @@ EOF
     if [ -z "$selected" ]; then
       echo "No files selected." && return 0
     fi
-    IFS=$'\n' read -r -d '' -a chosen < <(printf "%s\n" "$selected" && printf '\0')
+    chosen=()
+    while IFS= read -r line; do
+      chosen+=("$line")
+    done <<EOF
+$selected
+EOF
   else
     chosen=("${filtered[@]}")
   fi