❮ Zsh Navigation Tools ❯
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[](https://github.com/z-shell/zsh-navigation-tools/actions/workflows/lib-ci.yml)
# Introduction
The tools are:
- `n-aliases` - browses aliases, relegates editing to `vared`
- `n-cd` - browses dirstack and bookmarked directories, allows to enter selected directory
- `n-functions` - browses functions, relegates editing to `zed` or `vared`
- `n-history` - browses history, allows to edit and run commands from it
- `n-kill` - browses processes list, allows to send signal to selected process
- `n-env` - browses environment, relegates editing to `vared`
- `n-options` - browses options, allows to toggle their state
- `n-panelize` - loads output of given command into the list for browsing
All tools support horizontal scroll with `<`,`>`, `{`,`}`, `h`,`l` or left and right cursors. Other keys are:
- `H`, `?` (from n-history) - run n-help
- `Ctrl-R` - start n-history, the incremental, multi-keyword history searcher (Zsh binding)
- `Ctrl-A` - rotate entered words (1+2+3 -> 3+1+2)
- `Ctrl-F` - fix mode (approximate matching)
- `Ctrl-L` - redraw of whole display
- `Ctrl-T` - browse themes (next theme)
- `Ctrl-G` - browse themes (previous theme)
- `Ctrl-U` - half page up
- `Ctrl-D` - half page down
- `Ctrl-P` - previous element (also done with vim's k)
- `Ctrl-N` - next element (also done with vim's j)
- `[`, `]` - jump directory bookmarks in n-cd and typical signals in n-kill
- `g`, `G` - beginning and end of the list
- `/` - show incremental search
- `F3` - show/hide incremental search
- `Esc` - exit incremental search, clearing filter
- `Ctrl-W` (in incremental search) - delete whole word
- `Ctrl-K` (in incremental search) - delete whole line
- `Ctrl-O`, `o` - enter uniq mode (no duplicate lines)
- `Ctrl-E`, `e` - edit private history (when in private history view)
- `F1` - (in n-history) - switch view
- `F2`, `Ctrl-X`, `Ctrl-/` - search predefined keywords (defined in config files)
Set of tools like `n-history` – multi-word history searcher, `n-cd` – directory
bookmark manager, `n-kill` – `htop` like kill utility, and more. Based on
`n-list`, a tool generating selectable curses-based list of elements that has
access to current `Zsh` session, i.e. has broad capabilities to work together
with it. Feature highlights include incremental multi-word searching, approximate
matching, ANSI coloring, themes, unique mode, horizontal scroll, grepping, advanced
history management and various integrations with `Zsh`.
# Installation
```sh
sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/z-shell/zsh-navigation-tools/main/doc/install.sh)"
```
To update run the command again.
`ZNT` will be installed at `~/.config/znt/zsh-navigation-tools`, config files will be copied to `~/.config/znt`. `.zshrc`
will be updated with only `8` lines of code, which will be added at the bottom.
After installing and reloading shell give `ZNT` a quick try with `Ctrl-R` – this keyboard shortcut will open `n-history`.
## [Zi](https://github.com/z-shell/zi)
Add `zi load z-shell/zsh-navigation-tools` to `.zshrc`. The config files will be in `~/.config/znt`.
## Zgen
Add `zgen load z-shell/zsh-navigation-tools` to `.zshrc` and issue a `zgen reset` (this assumes that there is a proper `zgen save` construct in `.zshrc`).
The config files will be available in `~/.config/znt`.
## Antigen
Add `antigen bundle z-shell/zsh-navigation-tools@main` to `.zshrc`. There also
should be `antigen apply`. The config files will be in `~/.config/znt`.
## Standalone
Running script `doc/generate_single_file` will create single-file version of `ZNT`.
It can be sourced from `.zshrc`. Don't forget about configuration files as described
above.
### Manual
After extracting `ZNT` to `{some-directory}` add following two lines
to `~/.zshrc`:
```zsh
fpath+=( {some-directory} )
source "{some-directory}/zsh-navigation-tools.plugin.zsh"
```
As you can see, no plugin manager is needed to use the `*.plugin.zsh`
file. The above two lines of code are all that almost **all** plugin
managers do. In fact, what's actually needed is only:
```zsh
source "{some-directory}/zsh-navigation-tools.plugin.zsh"
```
because `ZNT` detects if it is used by **any** plugin manager and can
handle `$fpath` update by itself.
## Manual exteneded
Copy (or link) all `n-*` and `znt-*` files to **/usr/share/zsh/site-functions/**
(or **/usr/local/share/zsh/site-functions/**, check with `echo $fpath[1]`) and then add:
```sh
autoload n-list n-cd n-env n-kill n-panelize n-options n-aliases n-functions n-history n-help
```
to `~/.zshrc`.
Create aliases to avoid typing of the minus sign "-":
```zsh
alias naliases=n-aliases ncd=n-cd nenv=n-env nfunctions=n-functions nhistory=n-history
alias nkill=n-kill noptions=n-options npanelize=n-panelize nhelp=n-help
```
Don't forget to copy [configuration files](https://github.com/z-shell/zsh-navigation-tools/tree/main/.config/znt). They should go to `~/.config/znt`. Moreover, `n-cd` works together with option `AUTO_PUSHD` and you should have:
```zsh
setopt AUTO_PUSHD
```
in `.zshrc` (also recommend `PUSHD_IGNORE_DUPS`). Without the option `n-cd`
will just work as incremental searcher of directory bookmarks.
# History Widget
To have `n-history` as the incremental searcher bound to `Ctrl-R` copy `znt-*`
files into the `*/site-functions` dir (unless you do single file install) and
add:
```zsh
autoload znt-history-widget
zle -N znt-history-widget
bindkey "^R" znt-history-widget
```
to `.zshrc`. This is done automatically when using the installer, zgen, antigen
or single file install. Two other widgets exist, `znt-cd-widget` and
`znt-kill-widget`, they too can be assigned to key combinations (`autoload` is done
in `.zshrc` so no need of it):
```zsh
zle -N znt-cd-widget
bindkey "^B" znt-cd-widget
zle -N znt-kill-widget
bindkey "^Y" znt-kill-widget
```
# Configuration
`ZNT` has configuration files located in `~/.config/znt`. The files are:
```sh
n-aliases.conf
n-cd.conf
n-env.conf
n-functions.conf
n-history.conf
n-kill.conf
n-list.conf
n-options.conf
n-panelize.conf
```
`n-list.conf` contains main configuration variables:
```zsh
# Should the list (text, borders) be drawn in bold
local bold=0
# Main color pair (foreground/background)
local colorpair="white/black"
# Should draw the border?
local border=1
# Combinations of colors to try out with Ctrl-T and Ctrl-G
# The last number is the bold option, 0 or 1
local -a themes
themes=( "white/black/1" "green/black/0" "green/black/1" "white/blue/0" "white/blue/1"
"magenta/black/0" "magenta/black/1" )
```
Read remaining configuration files to see what's in them. Nevertheless, configuration
can be also set from `zshrc`. There are `5` standard `zshrc` configuration variables:
```sh
znt_history_active_text - underline or reverse - how should be active element highlighted
znt_history_nlist_coloring_pattern - pattern that can be used to colorize elements
znt_history_nlist_coloring_color - color with which to colorize
znt_history_nlist_coloring_match_multiple - should multiple matches be colorized (0 or 1)
znt_history_keywords (array) - search keywords activated with `Ctrl-X`, `F2` or `Ctrl-/`, e.g. ( "git" "vim" )
```
Above variables will work for `n-history` tool. For other tools, change `_history_` to
e.g. `_cd_`, for the `n-cd` tool. The same works for all `8` tools.
Common configuration of the tools uses variables with `_list_` in them:
```sh
znt_list_bold - should draw text in bold (0 or 1)
znt_list_colorpair - main pair of colors to be used, e.g "green/black"
znt_list_border - should draw borders around windows (0 or 1)
znt_list_themes (array) - list of themes to try out with Ctrl-T, e.g. ( "white/black/1" "green/black/0" )
znt_list_instant_select - should pressing enter in search mode leave tool (0 or 1)
```
If you used `ZNT` before `v2.1.12`, remove old configuration files `~/.config/znt/*.conf` so that `ZNT`
can update them to the latest versions that support integration with `Zshrc`. If you used installer
then run it again (after the remove of configuration files).
# Programming
The function `n-list` is used as follows:
```zsh
n-list {element1} [element2] ... [elementN]
```
This is all that is needed to be done to have the features like ANSI coloring,
incremental multi-word search, unique mode, horizontal scroll, non-selectable
elements (grepping is done outside `n-list`, see the tools for how it can be
done). To set up non-selectable entries add their indices into array
`NLIST_NONSELECTABLE_ELEMENTS`:
```zsh
typeset -a NLIST_NONSELECTABLE_ELEMENTS
NLIST_NONSELECTABLE_ELEMENTS=( 1 )
```
Result is stored as `$reply[REPLY]` (`$` isn't needed before `REPLY` because
of arithmetic context inside `[]`). The returned array might be different from
input arguments as `n-list` can process them via incremental search or uniq
mode. `$REPLY` is the index in that possibly processed array. If `$REPLY`
equals `-1` it means that no selection have been made (user quitted via `q`
key).
To set up entries that can be jumped to with `[`,`]` keys add their indices to
`NLIST_HOP_INDEXES` array:
```zsh
typeset -a NLIST_HOP_INDEXES
NLIST_HOP_INDEXES=( 1 10 )
```
`n-list` can automatically colorize entries according to a `Zsh` pattern.
Following example will colorize all numbers with blue:
```zsh
local NLIST_COLORING_PATTERN="[0-9]##"
local NLIST_COLORING_COLOR=$'\x1b[00;34m'
local NLIST_COLORING_END_COLOR=$'\x1b[0m'
local NLIST_COLORING_MATCH_MULTIPLE=1
n-list "This is a number 123" "This line too has a number: 456"
```
Blue is the default color, it doesn't have to be set. See `zshexpn` man page
for more information on `Zsh` patterns. Briefly, comparing to regular
expressions, `(#s)` is `^`, `(#e)` is `$`, `#` is `*`, `##` is `+`. Alternative
will work when in parenthesis, i.e. `(a|b)`. BTW by using this method you can
colorize output of the tools, via their config files (check out e.g. n-cd.conf,
it is using this).
# Performance
`ZNT` are fastest with `Zsh` before `5.0.6` and starting from `5.2`
## A tip
Zsh plugins may look scary, as they seem to have some "architecture". In fact, what a plugin really is, is that:
1. It has its directory added to `fpath`
2. It has any first `*.plugin.zsh` file sourced
That's it. When one contributes to Oh-My-Zsh or creates a plugin for any plugin manager, he only needs to account for this.
The same with doing any non-typical Zsh Navigation Tools installation.
## More
- be aware of [this](https://github.com/z-shell/zsh-navigation-tools/blob/f49f910d239ae5bc6e1a5bb34930307b4f4e3ffe/zsh-navigation-tools.plugin.zsh#L35-L49)
# Fixing tmux, screen and linux vt
If `TERM=screen-256color` (often a case for `tmux` and `screen` sessions) then
`ncv` terminfo capability will have `2`nd bit set. This in general means that
underline won't work. To fix this by creating your own `ncv=0`-equipped
terminfo file, run:
```zsh
{ infocmp -x screen-256color; printf '\t%s\n' 'ncv@,'; } > /tmp/t && tic -x /tmp/t
```
A file will be created in directory `~/.terminfo` and will be automatically
used, `tmux` and `screen` will work. Similar is for Linux virtual terminal:
```zsh
{ infocmp -x linux; printf '\t%s\n' 'ncv@,'; } > /tmp/t && tic -x /tmp/t
```
It will not display underline properly, but will instead highlight by a color,
which is quite nice. The same will not work for FreeBSD's vt, `ZNT` will detect
if that vt is used and will revert to highlighting elements via `reverse` mode.
# See also
Also check out [Zsh Command Architect](https://github.com/z-shell/zsh-cmd-architect)
and [Zconvey](https://github.com/z-shell/zconvey)