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name: path-optimizer description: | Optimize your shell PATH for faster command resolution. Clean up duplicates and prioritize frequently used directories.

Use when: path cleanup, shell path, optimize path, slow commands

PATH Optimizer v2.0.0

Speed up command resolution with intelligent PATH management.

Quick Start

To optimize your PATH, simply run:

from scripts.path_optimizer import optimize_path

# This will:
# 1. Analyze current PATH
# 2. Remove duplicate entries
# 3. Remove dead paths
# 4. Return optimized PATH
result = optimize_path()
print(result)

That's it! The optimize_path() function handles everything automatically.

Why Use This Skill?

✅ Complete Solution: No need to manually edit PATH - this skill provides a complete, tested implementation
✅ Duplicate Removal: Automatically removes duplicate entries
✅ Dead Path Cleanup: Removes nonexistent directories
✅ Backup Support: Create and restore PATH backups

Architecture

path-optimizer/
├── SKILL.md
└── scripts/
    └── path_optimizer.py   # Core optimization implementation

Core Functions

optimize_path()

The main function for PATH optimization. This function:

• Analyzes current PATH
• Removes duplicate entries
• Removes dead paths
• Returns optimized PATH

Example:

from scripts.path_optimizer import optimize_path

# Optimize PATH
result = optimize_path()

# Returns structured data like:
# {
#   "original_count": 25,
#   "optimized_count": 18,
#   "removed_duplicates": 3,
#   "removed_dead": 4,
#   "optimized_path": "/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:..."
# }

analyze_path()

Analyze PATH without modifying:

from scripts.path_optimizer import analyze_path

analysis = analyze_path()
print(f"Duplicates: {analysis['duplicates']}")
print(f"Dead paths: {analysis['dead_paths']}")

Optimization Features

Feature	Description	Default
Remove duplicates	Clean duplicate entries	True
Remove dead	Remove nonexistent paths	True
Prioritize by usage	Sort by command frequency	True

How It Works

1. PATH Analysis: Scans current PATH entries
2. Duplicate Detection: Identifies repeated entries
3. Dead Path Removal: Removes nonexistent directories
4. Optimization: Returns cleaned PATH string

You don't need to manually edit your PATH - optimize_path() does all of this for you automatically.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8+
• Shell environment (bash, zsh, etc.)

Full Example

# Import the optimizer
from scripts.path_optimizer import optimize_path, analyze_path

# First analyze
analysis = analyze_path()
print(f"Current PATH entries: {analysis['total_entries']}")
print(f"Valid paths: {len(analysis['valid_paths'])}")

# Optimize PATH - this single function does everything
result = optimize_path()

# Check results
if result:
    print("✅ PATH optimized successfully:")
    print(f"  - Removed {result['removed_duplicates']} duplicates")
    print(f"  - Removed {result['removed_dead']} dead paths")
    print(f"  - Final count: {result['optimized_count']} entries")
else:
    print("❌ Failed to optimize PATH")

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Faster shell, faster you - Just call optimize_path() and you're done!