directory structure adds .githolder to empty directories

diff --git a/tool_shared/bespoke/git_holder b/tool_shared/bespoke/git_holder
deleted file mode 100755 (executable)
index 7c6a3a9..0000000
--- a/tool_shared/bespoke/git_holder
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,20 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/env /bin/bash
-
-# Description: Finds all empty directories and adds a `.githolder` file to ensure Git tracking.
-
-# Function to add .githolder to empty directories
-add_githolders() {
-  echo "Searching for empty directories..."
-  
-  # Find all empty directories and loop through them
-  find . -type d -empty | while read -r dir; do
-    # Add .githolder file in each empty directory
-    echo "Adding .githolder to $dir"
-    touch "$dir/.githolder"
-  done
-
-  echo "Done! Empty directories are now tracked by Git with .githolder files."
-}
-
-# Run the function
-add_githolders

diff --git a/tool_shared/bespoke/githolder b/tool_shared/bespoke/githolder
new file mode 100755 (executable)
index 0000000..49fb12b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tool_shared/bespoke/githolder
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+#!/bin/env /bin/bash
+
+# Description: Descends from $1, or pwd, looking for empty directories and adds a `.githolder` to them.
+# does not descend into hidden directories.
+
+# examples:
+#   > git_holder
+#   > git_holder --dry-run
+
+set -e
+
+find_empty_dirs() {
+  local dir="$1"
+  local dry_run="$2"
+
+  # Skip `.git` specifically
+  if [[ "$(basename "$dir")" == ".git" ]]; then
+    return
+  fi
+
+  # Check if the directory is empty (including hidden files, excluding `.` and `..`)
+  if [[ -z $(find "$dir" -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -print -quit) ]]; then
+    if [[ "$dry_run" == "true" ]]; then
+      echo "Dry-run: Would add .githolder in $dir"
+    else
+      echo "Adding .githolder to $dir"
+      touch "$dir/.githolder"
+    fi
+  else
+    # Recurse into subdirectories
+    for subdir in "$dir"/*/ "$dir"/.[!.]/; do
+      if [[ -d "$subdir" && "$subdir" != "$dir/.[!.]/" ]]; then
+        find_empty_dirs "$subdir" "$dry_run"
+      fi
+    done
+  fi
+}
+
+# Default parameters
+dry_run="false"
+target_dir="."
+
+# Parse arguments
+while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+  case "$1" in
+    --dry-run)
+      dry_run="true"
+      shift
+      ;;
+    *)
+      if [[ -d "$1" ]]; then
+        target_dir="$1"
+        shift
+      else
+        echo "Invalid argument: $1 is not a directory"
+        exit 1
+      fi
+      ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+# Run the function
+find_empty_dirs "$target_dir" "$dry_run"