Git Repo Updates Made Simple

As developers, we’re always looking to optimize our workflows. This PowerShell script, Update-GitRepos, automates the process of keeping your Git repositories up-to-date. It’s a little helper that takes care of the grunt work for you.

How Update-GitRepos Works

The Update-GitRepos function recursively scans a directory for Git repositories and performs the
following actions for each one:

• Parameters: Accepts an optional $RootDirectory parameter, which defaults to the current directory if not specified.
• Directory Detection: Uses Get-ChildItem to find all directories within the specified root.
• .git Verification: Confirms the presence of a .git folder, providing a clear warning if a repository isn't found.
• Branch Detection: Intelligently determines the target branch – prioritizing main and master. The script handles the most common branch naming conventions.
• Branch Switching: If your local branch isn't tracking the correct branch, the script automatically switches to it using git switch.
• Fetch and Pull: Executes git fetch to download the latest changes and git pull to merge them into your local branch.

The PowerShell Script

function Update-GitRepos {
    param(
        [string]$RootDirectory = (Get-Location)
    )

    $originalLocation = Get-Location

    # Get all directories in the root directory
    Get-ChildItem -Path $RootDirectory -Directory | ForEach-Object {
        $folderPath = $_.FullName
        $gitFolder = Join-Path $folderPath ".git"
        if (!(Test-Path $gitFolder)) {
            Write-Host "No git repository found in: $folderPath" -ForegroundColor Yellow
            return
        }

        Write-Host "Updating git repo in: $folderPath" -ForegroundColor Cyan
        Set-Location $folderPath

        # Get list of branches
        $branches = git branch --list | ForEach-Object { $_.Trim().TrimStart('*').Trim() }

        $targetBranch = $null
        if ($branches -contains "main") {
            $targetBranch = "main"
        } elseif ($branches -contains "master") {
            $targetBranch = "master"
        }

        if ($null -eq $targetBranch) {
            Write-Host "Neither 'main' nor 'master' branch found in: $folderPath" -ForegroundColor Yellow
            return
        }

        $currentBranch = (git branch --show-current).Trim()
        if ($currentBranch -ne $targetBranch) {
            Write-Host "Switching to branch: $targetBranch"
            git switch $targetBranch
        }

        git fetch
        git pull
    }

    # Restore the original location
    Set-Location $originalLocation
}

How to Use It

The simplest way to use Update-GitRepos is add it directly to your PowerShell profile. This allows it to be executed in any directory. You can find an example of my PowerShell profile here: https://github.com/jeremyknight-me/scripts/blob/master/powershell/profile.ps1

Profile Run

1. Navigate to the root folder of your repositories.
2. Run the command Update-GitRepos

Manual Run

1. Save the Script: Save the script as Update-GitRepos.ps1.
2. Run It: Navigate to the script’s location in PowerShell and execute the following but replace "C:\Path\To\Your\Repositories" with your repository folder’s path.

   .\Update-GitRepos.ps1 -RootDirectory "C:\Path\To\Your\Repositories"