diff --git a/bin/fsw b/bin/fsw
index 71d177a..3103046 100755
--- a/bin/fsw
+++ b/bin/fsw
@@ -1,11 +1,68 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-# Some examples in case you forget:
-# Elixir: fsw "mix run" ./**/*.{ex,exs}
-# Run bash file on any event (note single quotes): fsw 'bash ${__FSW_FILENAME}' ./**/*.bash
+_VERSION="0.2.0"
 
-SHELL_COMMAND="${1}"
-shift
-inotifywait -q -m -e close_write -r "${@}" | while read -r __FSW_FILENAME __FSW_EVENT; do
-	eval "${SHELL_COMMAND}"
+function help() {
+	I="  "
+	cat <<USAGE
+fsw - run a command when a file is modified
+
+Usage:
+${I}fsw <command> [filter] [dirs...]
+
+${I}command - the specified bash command to eval
+${I}filter  - an optional filename filter
+${I}dirs    - the directories to watch (defaults to current directory)
+
+Advanced:
+${I}Command Variables:
+${I}${I}Your commands have runtime access to some variables associated with the
+${I}${I}${I}inotifywait event enabling further extensibility:
+${I}${I}+ FSW_FILENAME    - the name of the file
+${I}${I}+ FSW_DIR         - the directory containing the file
+${I}${I}+ FSW_PATH        - the full relative path of the file
+${I}${I}+ FSW_FILE_EVENTS - a comma-separated list of the inotify events
+${I}Environment:
+${I}${I}Some customization options exist using environment variables
+${I}${I}${I}due to their uncommon usage.
+${I}${I}+ FSW_EVENTS - the list of events to have inotifywait observe
+	
+References:
+${I}+ Filter works with grep -P
+${I}+ See inotifywait(1) for FSW_EVENTS options.
+	
+Examples:
+${I}fsw 'make' '\.c$'
+${I}fsw 'bash \$filename' '\.bash$'
+${I}fsw 'mix test --failed' '.exs?$' lib test
+${I}FSW_EVENTS=open,access fsw 'espeak "Intruder Alert!"' \\
+${I}${I}${I}'.*' /etc/secrets \$HOME/.secrets
+USAGE
+}
+
+if [[ $1 = '-h' ]] || [[ $1 = '--help' ]] || [[ -z $1 ]]; then
+	help
+	exit 0
+fi
+
+FSW_EVENTS="${FSW_EVENTS:-close_write}"
+SHELL_COMMAND="${1}"; shift
+FILTER="${1}"; shift
+DIRS=("${1:-.}"); shift
+while [[ ! -z $1 ]]; do
+	DIRS+=("$1"); shift
+done
+inotifywait -m -e "${FSW_EVENTS}" -r "${DIRS[@]}" 2>&1 \
+	| grep --line-buffered -v '  Beware: since -r was given, this may take a while!' \
+	| while read -r dir events filename; do
+	if [[ "$dir $events" = "Watches established." ]]; then
+		echo "Ready."
+	else
+		export FSW_FILENAME="$filename"
+		export FSW_DIR="$dir"
+		export FSW_PATH="$dir$filename"
+		export FSW_FILE_EVENTS="$events"
+		<<< "$FSW_PATH" grep -P
+		eval "${SHELL_COMMAND}"
+	fi
 done
diff --git a/shell/bash/prompt b/shell/bash/prompt
index 6123afe..45bb9f5 100644
--- a/shell/bash/prompt
+++ b/shell/bash/prompt
@@ -1,43 +1,36 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
 COLOR_RESET='\[\e[0m\]'
+# TODO: if root, background instead?
 PROMPT_SUCCESS_COLOR='\[\e[0;34m\]'
 PROMPT_FAILURE_COLOR='\[\e[0;31m\]'
 DIR_COLOR='\[\e[0;35m\]'
 
+MAX_PATH_PIECE_CHARS=3
+
 # prompt rendering functions
 preprocess_pwd() {
-	name="$PWD"
-	# if we're in the home directory, replace it with tilde
-	# [[ "$name" =~ ^"$NICE_HOME"(/|$) ]] && name="~${name#$NICE_HOME}"
-	[[ "$name" == "${NICE_HOME}" ]] && name="~"
-
-	# replace all non-basename parts of the PWD with only the first two letters
-	curdir=$(echo "$PWD" | sed -r 's|.*/(.+)$|\1|g')
-	name=$(echo "$name" | sed -r 's|/(...)[^/]*|/\1|g' | sed -r 's|(.*/)(.+)$|\1|g')
-
-	# if we're just in the home or root directory, don't show any path stuff
-	[[ "$name" == "/" ]] && curdir=""
-	[[ "$name" == "~" ]] && curdir=""
-
-	# return our transformed PWD
-	echo "$name$curdir"
+	p="$PWD"
+	[[ "$p" == "/" ]] && echo "/" && return 1
+	[[ "$p" == "${NICE_HOME}" ]] && echo "~" && return 0
+	# with ellipsis
+	# echo "$(<<< "$p" cut -c2- | awk '{split($0,p,"/");for(k in p){if(length(p[k])>'"$((MAX_PATH_PIECE_CHARS+1))"'){printf "/%.'"$((MAX_PATH_PIECE_CHARS))"'s…",p[k]}else{printf "/%s",p[k]}}}')"
+	# without ellipsis
+	echo "$(<<< "$p" cut -c2- | awk '{split($0,p,"/");for(k in p){printf "/%.'"$MAX_PATH_PIECE_CHARS"'s",p[k]}}')"
 }
 export -f "preprocess_pwd"
 
 prompt_command_func()
 {
-	# commit history to prevent data loss from edge cases
-	history -a
 	RET=$?
-	# set the color of the user and host based on the result of the previous
-	# command
-	if [ $RET -eq 0 ]; then
+	history -a # commit history to prevent data loss from edge cases
+	# set the color of user@host based on the result of the previous command
+	if [[ $RET -eq 0 ]]; then
 		STATUS_COLOR=$PROMPT_SUCCESS_COLOR
 	else
 		STATUS_COLOR=$PROMPT_FAILURE_COLOR
-	fi;
-	PS1="$STATUS_COLOR\u@\h$COLOR_RESET $DIR_COLOR$(eval "preprocess_pwd")$COLOR_RESET "
+	fi
+	PS1="$STATUS_COLOR\u@\h$COLOR_RESET $DIR_COLOR$(preprocess_pwd)$COLOR_RESET "
 }
 export -f "prompt_command_func"
 export PROMPT_COMMAND="prompt_command_func"