https://github.com/brianhuster/nvcat
`cat` but with syntax highlighting powered by Neovim
https://github.com/brianhuster/nvcat
neovim nvim
Last synced: over 1 year ago
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`cat` but with syntax highlighting powered by Neovim
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/brianhuster/nvcat
- Owner: brianhuster
- License: apache-2.0
- Created: 2025-03-08T12:27:59.000Z (over 1 year ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2025-03-18T09:50:37.000Z (over 1 year ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-03-18T10:38:35.661Z (over 1 year ago)
- Topics: neovim, nvim
- Language: Go
- Homepage:
- Size: 1.6 MB
- Stars: 30
- Watchers: 1
- Forks: 1
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
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README
# nvcat
A command-line utility that displays files with Neovim's syntax highlighting in the terminal.
## Overview
`nvcat` is a CLI tool similar to Unix's `cat` but with syntax highlighting powered by Neovim's syntax and treesitter engines. It leverages Neovim's capabilities to provide accurate syntax highlighting for a wide range of file formats directly in your terminal.
## Features
- Syntax highlighting using Neovim's highlighting engine
- Support for treesitter-based highlighting
- Optional line numbers
- Can use your existing Neovim configuration or run with a clean instance
Viewing a Lua file with Tokyonight-night colorscheme
Nvcat as fzf's preview, with my custom
colorscheme.
## Installation
**Prequisites**:
- Neovim 0.10+ (must be accessible via `nvim`)
- A terminal that supports true color
### Prebuilt binaries
See the [releases page](https://github.com/brianhuster/nvcat/releases) for prebuilt binaries for Linux, macOS, and Windows.
### From source
Requires Go 1.22+
```bash
go install github.com/brianhuster/nvimcat@latest
```
Or clone and build manually:
```bash
git clone https://github.com/brianhuster/nvcat.git
cd nvcat
sudo make install
```
## Usage
```bash
nvcat [options]
```
### Options
* `-n`: Show line numbers
* `-clean`: Don't load Neovim's config
* `-v`: Show version information
* `-h`: Show help information
## Configuration
You can configure Nvcat using Vimscript or Lua just the same as you would with Neovim. However, it is recommended to start from a scratch config, because LSP, plugins can cause unnecessary long startup time and other unexpected behaviors. Generally you would only need to set colorscheme, tabstop, or enable Treesitter highlighting
There are 2 ways to configure Nvcat:
#### 1. Use Nvcat's config directory: `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/nvcat/init.lua` or `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/nvcat/init.vim`.
With this method, your Nvcat configuration will be seperated from your Neovim configuration, and it can be loaded even when the flag `-clean` is given
Example:
```lua
--- ~/.config/nvcat/init.lua
vim.opt.rtp:append(path/to/your/colorscheme/runtimepath)
-- Add runtimepath directory containing 'parser/'
vim.opt.rtp:append("replace/with/your/actual/path")
vim.cmd.colorscheme("your-colorscheme")
vim.o.tabstop = 4
vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd("FileType", {
callback = function()
pcall(vim.treesitter.start)
end
})
```
#### 2. Use Neovim's config dictionary (`:echo stdpath('config')`).
Nvcat sets Vimscript variable `g:nvcat` on startup, so you can use it to control which parts of your Neovim configuration should not be used by Nvcat.
Example:
```lua
--- ~/.config/nvim/init.lua
if vim.g.nvcat then
-- Nvcat configuration
else
-- LSP, plugins, etc.
end
```
## Limitationns
- `nvcat` only supports legacy and Treesitter-based syntax highlighting engines. It does not support LSP-based highlighting.
- `nvcat` doesn't change background colors, so you should use a color scheme that has a background color similar to your terminal's
## Buy me a coffee
## Credits
- [neovim/go-client](https://github.com/neovim/go-client)
