pushd

Pushd is a command found in many Unix-like shells (such as Bash, Zsh, and tcsh) that manipulates a directory stack. When invoked with a target directory, pushd first pushes the current directory onto the stack and then changes to the target directory. If invoked with no arguments, pushd operates on the directory stack itself, typically by rotating or swapping the top entries and then changing to the resulting top directory.

The directory stack can be viewed with the dirs built-in or command in the shell; the command popd removes the top entry from the stack and returns to the previous directory. This mechanism enables quick switching between multiple folders without losing track of the original location and without repeatedly typing long paths.

Implementation and behavior can vary by shell. In Bash and Zsh, pushd and popd are built-ins, and the stack can be inspected with dirs. In tcsh and related shells, pushd remains a built-in with similar goals but may offer different options or syntax. The stack has a finite size and can typically be cleared or reset with commands like dirs -c or by repeatedly using popd until the initial directory is reached.

Pushd complements the standard cd command by providing a way to maintain a history of visited directories and to navigate among them efficiently. It is especially useful for workflows that involve frequent traversal between a set of locations.

See also: cd, dirs, popd.