posts: bat command post

src/posts/2024/2024-12-31-bat-a-better-cat.md

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+---
+title: Tools | bat > cat
+description: Cat with a twist
+date: 2024-12-31
+draft: false
+tags: ['tools', 'cli', 'terminal']
+---
+
+## Bat
+
+There are some eternal tools and `cat` is one of them. It has not appreciably changed much for an eternity. Recently I have stumbled upon a site called [Terminal Trove](https://terminaltrove.com/). A tool missng from their posts is the tool [bat](https://github.com/sharkdp/bat). As a developer, and perhaps many Linux users, when I am using `cat` it is with a script or log snippet. However, without perks like colorization and line numbers it can be difficult to comprehend. This may lead a user to open it in `vi` or `helix` to get those benefits. What if you didn't have to? That's where `bat` enters the picture.
+
+This is what `bat` looks like with a simple basic toml file.
+
+{% image "./src/assets/images/blog/bat-a-better-cat/bat_output.png", "Screenshot of output from the command 'bat mise.toml'", "Screenshot of 'bat mise.toml'" %}
+
+But `bat` is also capable of showing white space, is git-aware, and by default uses `less` for paging.
+
+`bat -A keyboards/ploopyco/ploopyco.h`
+
+{% image "./src/assets/images/blog/bat-a-better-cat/bat_all_output.png", "Screenshot of output from the command 'bat keyboards/ploopyco/ploopyco.h'", "Screenshot of 'bat keyboards/ploopyco/ploopyco.h'" %}
+
+It also can read from stdin
+
+{% image "./src/assets/images/blog/bat-a-better-cat/bat_from_stdin.png", "Screenshot of output from the command 'http https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rp-rs/rp-hal/refs/heads/main/format.sh | bat'", "Screenshot of 'http https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rp-rs/rp-hal/refs/heads/main/format.sh | bat'" %}
+
+There is a wide range of options including those that allow you to customize the output, add themes, and return to default `cat` behavior for example.
+
+```bash
+❯ cat -h
+A cat(1) clone with wings.
+
+Usage: bat [OPTIONS] [FILE]...
+       bat <COMMAND>
+
+Arguments:
+  [FILE]...  File(s) to print / concatenate. Use '-' for standard input.
+
+Options:
+  -A, --show-all
+          Show non-printable characters (space, tab, newline, ..).
+      --nonprintable-notation <notation>
+          Set notation for non-printable characters.
+  -p, --plain...
+          Show plain style (alias for '--style=plain').
+  -l, --language <language>
+          Set the language for syntax highlighting.
+  -H, --highlight-line <N:M>
+          Highlight lines N through M.
+      --file-name <name>
+          Specify the name to display for a file.
+  -d, --diff
+          Only show lines that have been added/removed/modified.
+      --tabs <T>
+          Set the tab width to T spaces.
+      --wrap <mode>
+          Specify the text-wrapping mode (*auto*, never, character).
+  -S, --chop-long-lines
+          Truncate all lines longer than screen width. Alias for '--wrap=never'.
+  -n, --number
+          Show line numbers (alias for '--style=numbers').
+      --color <when>
+          When to use colors (*auto*, never, always).
+      --italic-text <when>
+          Use italics in output (always, *never*)
+      --decorations <when>
+          When to show the decorations (*auto*, never, always).
+      --paging <when>
+          Specify when to use the pager, or use `-P` to disable (*auto*, never, always).
+  -m, --map-syntax <glob:syntax>
+          Use the specified syntax for files matching the glob pattern ('*.cpp:C++').
+      --theme <theme>
+          Set the color theme for syntax highlighting.
+      --list-themes
+          Display all supported highlighting themes.
+      --style <components>
+          Comma-separated list of style elements to display (*default*, auto, full, plain,
+          changes, header, header-filename, header-filesize, grid, rule, numbers, snip).
+  -r, --line-range <N:M>
+          Only print the lines from N to M.
+  -L, --list-languages
+          Display all supported languages.
+  -h, --help
+          Print help (see more with '--help')
+  -V, --version
+          Print version
+```
+
+
+## Install
+
+The installation is straight forward. If you have the [Rust](https://www.rust-lang.org/) toolchain installed building from source is an option.
+
+`cargo install --locked bat`
+
+Or using your package manager.
+
+`sudo zypper install bat bat-bash-completion bat-fish-completion`
+
+## Integrate with Fish
+
+As seen above there are fish completions available on OpenSUSE. One option to avoid muscle memory of typing `cat` vs `bat` would be to use a fish alias but that isn't quite enough. There is a convinience flag that is just too much typing to get a pagerless output. This custom override for the `cat` command gives you a nice flag to get basic output as well as only overriding the `cat` command in interactive mode.
+
+```sh
+# Utilizes bat when in user shell to get prettier code prints but
+# reverts to cat when not to prevent interfering with other scripts.
+function cat --description "alias cat bat"
+    if status --is-interactive
+        # Replace and substitute -a with --pager=never
+        set -l args (string replace -a -- "-a" "--pager=never" $argv)
+        # In interactive mode, use bat
+        command bat $args
+    else
+        # In non-interactive mode, use cat
+        command cat $argv
+    end
+end
+
+```
+
+As seen above the override only happens under interactive use. Additionally, it adds flag `-a` as an alias of `--pager=never` to save a few keystrokes. The command now to get plain `cat` output would be `cat -a -p`. Using the keyword `command` to execute `cat` and `bat` also maintains the correct fish completions based on the underlying command being run.
+
+
+_That is all for this installment. Look forward to more posts just like this._
+