Skip to content

Commit

Permalink
Improve README (#271)
Browse files Browse the repository at this point in the history
  • Loading branch information
@denisidoro
denisidoro authored Mar 16, 2020
1 parent 0713499 commit 672fcc0
Showing 1 changed file with 78 additions and 97 deletions.
175 changes: 78 additions & 97 deletions README.md
View file
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -6,36 +6,34 @@ An interactive cheatsheet tool for the command-line.

![Demo](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/3226564/76437136-ddc35900-6397-11ea-823c-d2da7615fe60.gif)

**navi** allows you to browse through cheatsheets (that you may write yourself or download from maintainers) and execute commands, with argument values prompted to you. It uses [fzf](https://github.com/junegunn/fzf) under the hood.
**navi** allows you to browse through cheatsheets (that you may write yourself or download from maintainers) and execute commands. Argument suggestions are prompted to you.

It can be either used as a command or as a shell widget (*à la* Ctrl-R).
It uses [fzf](https://github.com/junegunn/fzf) under the hood and it can be either used as a command or as a shell widget (*à la* Ctrl-R).

Table of contents
-----------------

* [Installation](#installation)
* [Using Homebrew or Linuxbrew](#using-homebrew-or-linuxbrew)
* [Using one-liner script](#using-one-liner-script)
* [Using cargo](#using-cargo)
* [Using install script](#using-install-script)
* [Downloading pre-compiled binaries](#downloading-pre-compiled-binaries)
* [Building from source](#building-from-source)
* [Usage](#usage)
* [Preventing execution](#preventing-execution)
* [Pre-filtering](#pre-filtering)
* [Shell widget](#shell-widget)
* [More options](#more-options)
* [Trying out online](#trying-out-online)
* [Cheatsheets](#cheatsheets)
* [Using your own custom cheatsheets](#using-your-own-custom-cheatsheets)
* [Importing cheatsheets](#importing-cheatsheets)
* [Adding your own cheatsheets](#adding-your-own-cheatsheets)
* [Submitting cheatsheets](#submitting-cheatsheets)
* [Cheatsheet syntax](#cheatsheet-syntax)
* [Syntax overview](#syntax-overview)
* [Variables](#variables)
* [Advanced variable options](#advanced-variable-options)
* [Variable dependency](#variable-dependency)
* [Variable options](#variable-options)
* [Table formatting](#table-formatting)
* [Multiple choice](#multiple-choice)
* [Multiline snippets](#multiline-snippets)
* [List customization](#list-customization)
* [Motivation](#motivation)
* [Related projects](#related-projects)
* [Etymology](#etymology)

Expand All @@ -48,15 +46,24 @@ Installation
brew install denisidoro/tools/navi
```

Alternatively, you can use the official formula (but it will install a very old version of **navi**):
Alternatively, you can use the official formula (but it will install a very old version):
```sh
brew install navi
```

### Using one-liner script
### Using [cargo](https://github.com/rust-lang/cargo)

```bash
cargo install navi
```

### Using install script

```bash
bash <(curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/denisidoro/navi/master/scripts/install)

# alternatively, to set directories:
# SOURCE_DIR=/opt/navi BIN_DIR=/usr/local/bin bash <(curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/denisidoro/navi/master/scripts/install)l
```

### Downloading pre-compiled binaries
Expand All @@ -68,27 +75,21 @@ You can download binaries [here](https://github.com/denisidoro/navi/releases/lat
```bash
git clone https://github.com/denisidoro/navi ~/.navi
cd ~/.navi
make install # or make SOURCE_DIR=/opt/navi BIN_DIR=/usr/local/bin install
make install

# alternatively, to set install directory:
# make BIN_DIR=/usr/local/bin install
```


Usage
-----

By simply running `navi` you will be prompted with the default cheatsheets.

### Preventing execution

If you run `navi --print`, the selected snippet won't be executed. It will be printed to stdout instead.

### Pre-filtering

If you run `navi query <cmd>`, the results will be pre-filtered.
By running `navi` for the first time, you'll be suggested to download some cheatsheets. By running `navi` again, these cheatsheets will appear.

### Shell widget

You can use **navi** as a widget to your shell. This way, your history is correctly populated and you can edit the command as you wish before executing it.

In order to use it, add this line to your `.bashrc`-like file:
You can use **navi** as a widget to your shell. This way, your history is correctly populated and you can edit the command as you wish before executing it. To set it up, add this line to your `.bashrc`-like file:
```sh
# bash
source <(navi widget bash)
Expand All @@ -100,50 +101,44 @@ source <(navi widget zsh)
navi widget fish | source
```

By default, `Ctrl+G` is assigned to launching **navi**. If you want to change the keybinding, replace the argument of `bind` or `bindkey` in [the widget file](https://github.com/denisidoro/navi/search?q=filename%3Anavi.plugin.*&unscoped_q=filename%3Anavi.plugin.*).
By default, `Ctrl+G` is assigned to launching **navi**.

### More options

Please refer to `navi --help` for more details.


Trying out online
--------------------

If you don't have access to bash at the moment and you want to live preview **navi**, head to [this playground](https://www.katacoda.com/denisidoro/scenarios/navi). It'll start a docker container with instructions for you to install and use the tool. Note: login required.
If you don't have access to a Unix shell at the moment and you want to live preview **navi**, head to [this playground](https://www.katacoda.com/denisidoro/scenarios/navi). It'll start a docker container with instructions for you to install and use the tool. Note: login required.


Cheatsheets
-----------

### Using your own custom cheatsheets
### Importing cheatsheets

In this case, you need to pass a `:`-separated list of separated directories which contain `.cheat` files:
```sh
navi --path "/folder/with/cheats"
**navi** is able to import cheatsheets from git repositories:
```

Alternatively, you can set an environment variable in your `.bashrc`-like file:
```sh
export NAVI_PATH="/folder/with/cheats:/another/folder"
navi repo add <path-to-a-git-repo-with-cheats> # example: navi repo add https://github.com/denisidoro/navi
```

### Adding your own cheatsheets

You can either start a git repo with cheatsheets and import it as described above or you can add them directly to [data_dir](https://github.com/soc/dirs-rs)`/navi`.


### Submitting cheatsheets

Feel free to open a PR on https://github.com/denisidoro/cheats for me to include your contributions.
The main repository for cheatsheets is [denisidoro/cheats](https://github.com/denisidoro/cheats). Feel free to open a PR there for me to include your contributions.


Cheatsheet syntax
-----------------

Cheatsheets are described in `.cheat` files.

### Syntax overview
Cheatsheets are described in `.cheat` files that look like this:

- lines starting with `%` determine the start of a new cheatsheet and should contain tags;
- lines starting with `#` should be descriptions of commands;
- lines starting with `;` are ignored. You can use them for metacomments;
- lines starting with `$` should contain commands that generate a list of possible values for a given argument;
- all the other non-empty lines are considered as executable commands.

For example, this is a valid `.cheat` file:
```sh
% git, code

Expand All @@ -153,47 +148,27 @@ git checkout <branch>
$ branch: git branch | awk '{print $NF}'
```

It's irrelevant how many files are used to store cheatsheets. They can be all in a single file if you wish, as long as you split them accordingly with lines starting with `%`.
### Syntax overview

Commands may be multiline:
```sh
# This will output "foo\nyes"
echo foo
true \
&& echo yes \
|| echo no
```
- lines starting with `%` determine the start of a new cheatsheet and should contain tags, useful for searching;
- lines starting with `#` should be descriptions of commands;
- lines starting with `;` are ignored. You can use them for metacomments;
- lines starting with `$` should contain commands that generate a list of possible values for a given argument;
- all the other non-empty lines are considered as executable commands.

It's irrelevant how many files are used to store cheatsheets. They can be all in a single file if you wish, as long as you split them accordingly with lines starting with `%`.

### Variables

The interface prompts for variable names inside brackets (eg `<branch>`).
The interface prompts for variable names inside brackets (eg `<branch>`).

Variable names should only include alphanumeric characters and `_`.

### Variable dependency

The command for generating possible inputs can refer other variables:
```sh
# If you select 2 for x, the possible values of y will be 12 and 22
echo <x> <y>

$ x: echo -e '1\n2\n3'
$ y: echo -e "$((x+10))\n$((x+20))"
```

### Variable options

For lines starting with `$` you can add use`---` to parse parameters to `fzf`.
* `--allow-extra` *(experimental)*: handles `fzf` option `--print-query`. `enter` will prefer a selection,
`tab` will prefer the query typed.
* `--multi` : forwarded option to `fzf`.
* `--header-lines` : forwarded option to `fzf`
* `--column` : forwarded option to `fzf`.
* `--delimiter` : forwarded option to `fzf`.
If there's a corresponding line starting with `$` for a variable, suggestions will be displayed. Otherwise, the user will be able to type any value for it.

#### Table formatting
### Advanced variable options

You can pick a specific column of a selection and set the number of lines considered as headers via `--column`, `--delimiter` and `--header-lines`:
For lines starting with `$` you can add use `---` to customize the behavior of `fzf` or how the value is going to be used:

```sh
# This will pick the 3rd column and use the first line as header
Expand All @@ -202,36 +177,41 @@ docker rmi <image_id>
$ image_id: docker images --- --column 3 --header-lines 1 --delimiter '\s\s+'
```

#### Multiple choice
The supported parameters are:
- `--allow-extra` *(experimental)*: handles `fzf` option `--print-query`. `enter` will prefer a selection and `tab` will prefer the query typed.
- `--multi` : forwarded option to `fzf`.
- `--header-lines` : forwarded option to `fzf`
- `--column` : forwarded option to `fzf`.
- `--delimiter` : forwarded option to `fzf`.

You can select multiple values via `--multi` and hitting `<TAB>`:
### Variable dependency

The command for generating possible inputs can refer previous variables:
```sh
# The resulting command will be something like: cat "a.txt" "b.txt"
cat <files>
# If you select 2 for x, the possible values of y will be 12 and 22
echo <x> <y>

$ files: ls --- --multi
$ x: echo '1 2 3' | tr ' ' '\n'
$ y: echo "$((x+10)) $((x+20))" | tr ' ' '\n'
```

List customization
------------------
### Multiline snippets

Lists can be stylized with the [$FZF_DEFAULT_OPTS](https://github.com/junegunn/fzf) environment variable or `--fzf-overrides`. This way, you can change the [color scheme](https://github.com/junegunn/fzf/wiki/Color-schemes), for example.

Motivation
----------
Commands may be multiline:
```sh
# This will output "foo\nyes"
echo foo
true \
&& echo yes \
|| echo no
```

The main objectives are:
- to increase discoverability, by finding snippets given keywords or descriptions;
- to prevent you from running auxiliar commands, copying the result into the clipboard and then pasting into the original command;
- to easily share one-liners with others so that they don't need to figure out how to write the commands;
- to improve terminal usage as a whole.

Sure, you can find autocompleters out there for all your favorite commands. However, they are very specific and each one may offer a different learning curve.
List customization
------------------

Or you can launch a browser and search for instructions on Google, but that takes some time.
Lists can be stylized with the [$FZF_DEFAULT_OPTS](https://github.com/junegunn/fzf) environment variable or similar variables or parameters ( please refer to `navi --help`). This way, you can change the [color scheme](https://github.com/junegunn/fzf/wiki/Color-schemes), for example.

**navi**, on the other hand, intends to be a general purpose platform for bookmarking any snippet at a very low cost.

Related projects
----------------
Expand All @@ -240,6 +220,7 @@ There are many similar projects out there ([bro](https://github.com/hubsmoke/bro

Most of them provide excellent cheatsheet repositories, but lack a nice UI and argument suggestions.


Etymology
---------

Expand Down

0 comments on commit 672fcc0

Please sign in to comment.