catbath

a tiny editor for people who think F2 should format code.

Terminal-first, browser-curious, and extension-friendly. It edits files, searches text, undoes mistakes, follows the mouse, and lets shell scripts borrow the whole buffer for one-key tricks.

install teach F-keys

scroll for the tiny manual

boot sequence

terminal mode

Open a file, stay in the shell, edit without inviting a desktop-sized IDE.

browser mode

Use -w when a textarea and a tab are the correct amount of UI.

remote files

Point at ssh://user@host/path/file.txt when the file lives elsewhere.

# build it
$ cargo build --release

# or install it
$ yay -S catbath

# open something suspicious
$ catbath -w src/main.rs

keyboard lore

^Qquit

^Ssave

^Zundo

^Kcut

^Upaste

^Fsearch

F1..F12run extension

mouseclick + scroll

syntax goggles

tiny config

Syntax files are plain text: keywords, types, comments, and string delimiter.

local first

Put overrides in ~/.config/catbath/syntax.

packaged defaults

catbath also checks /usr/share/catbath/syntax.

# Python-ish goggles
$ mkdir -p ~/.config/catbath/syntax
$ printf '%s\n' 'keywords: def class return import if else' 'comment: #' 'string: "' > ~/.config/catbath/syntax/py

F-key magic

stdin in

The whole buffer is piped into your script.

stdout out

Print the edited buffer back, and catbath swaps it in.

context included

Scripts get file path, row, and column as environment variables.

# F2: format code with rustfmt
$ mkdir -p ~/.config/catbath/extensions
$ printf '%s\n' '#!/bin/sh' 'rustfmt --emit stdout' > ~/.config/catbath/extensions/F2
$ chmod +x ~/.config/catbath/extensions/F2