Q:

Bash aliases - how do I run a file in a different folder without losing my current location?

I have a nice little bash alias in my .bashrc folder that allows me to start Tomcat running without having to cd into the folder first, e.g.
alias startTomcat="cd ~/apache-tomcat-7.0.34/bin/ && ./startup.sh"

However when I run startTomcatin a terminal, I'm booted out of the folder I started in, and now my terminal's residing in ~/apache-tomcat-7.0.34/bin/. This is expected behaviour, of course, but what I'd like to do is run the command without winding up in a different folder. 
Can I either save the original location, then return to it in my .bashrc file, or alternatively run startup.sh without cding out of the original folder?
Thanks!!

A:

You can use the absolute path for startup.sh without to cd in the folder where is located::
alias startTomcat="~/apache-tomcat-7.0.34/bin/startup.sh"

Or, you can use cd - which will return you to the directory where you were last time:
alias startTomcat="cd ~/apache-tomcat-7.0.34/bin/ && ./startup.sh && cd -"

