⚙️ ❮ Zsh Navigation Tools❯
Tags: zsh, tooling, productivity, shell
Published: 2022-02-11 08:42:30

![Zsh Navigation Tools](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/ckfwat3406ssgqqbv3f2.png)


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[https://z.digitalclouds.dev](https://z.digitalclouds.dev) | [GitHub](https://github.com/z-shell) | [Twitter](https://twitter.com/zshell_zi)

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---

## Recap

In a [ZI Series](https://dev.to/sso/series/15824), covered basics on how to use history effectively, syntax highlighting, etc. This time navigation using Zsh in the command line will be taken to another level.

---

## Introduction

The available tools:

- `n-aliases` - browse aliases, relegates editing to `vared`
- `n-cd` - browses dirstack and bookmarked directories, allows entering the 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 sending a signal to a selected process
- `n-env` - browses environment, relegates editing to `vared`
- `n-options` - browse options, allows toggling their state
- `n-panelize` - loads output of a 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 a selectable curses-based list of elements that has access to the 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`.


---


## Install ZNT with the script


```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 the shell give `ZNT` a quick try with `Ctrl-R` – this keyboard shortcut will open `n-history`.


---

### Install using [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`.


---


### Install using 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`.


## Installation With Antigen


Add `antigen bundle z-shell/zsh-navigation-tools` to `.zshrc`. There also should be `antigen apply`.


The config files will be in `~/.config/znt`.

---

### Single File Manual Installation


Running script `doc/generate_single_file` will create a single-file version of `ZNT`.


It can be sourced from `.zshrc`. Don't forget about configuration files as described above.

---

### Manual Installation


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.


What's 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.

---

### Truly Manual Installation 



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:


`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 "-":


```shell
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:


```shell
setopt AUTO_PUSHD
```


in `.zshrc` (also recommend `PUSHD_IGNORE_DUPS`). Without the option, `n-cd` will just work as an 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:


```shell
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):



```shell
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:



```jsx
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:


```jsx
# 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, the configuration can be also set from `zshrc`.

There are `5` standard `zshrc` configuration variables:



```jsx
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" )
```


The 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.


A common configuration of the tools uses variables with `_list_` in them:



```jsx
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 the installer then run it again (after the removal of configuration files).

---

## Programming


The function `n-list` is used as follows:


```shell
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`:


```shell
typeset -a NLIST_NONSELECTABLE_ELEMENTS
NLIST_NONSELECTABLE_ELEMENTS=( 1 )
```


The result is stored as `$reply[REPLY]` (`$` isn't needed before `REPLY` because of the 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 has 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:



```shell
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:



```shell
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 `+`. 


The alternative will work when in parenthesis, i.e. `(a|b)`.

BTW by using this method you can colorize the output of the tools, via their config files (check out e.g. n-cd.conf,
it is using this).


---


## Performance


`ZNT` is 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". What a plugin 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.

### Note

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 the underline won't work.


To fix this by creating your own `ncv=0`-equipped terminfo file, run:


```shell
{ 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:


```shell
{ 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.