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Pure assembly file viewer with syntax highlighting. Part of CHasm.

// repository documentation

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# show - Pure Assembly File Viewer

![Version](https://img.shields.io/badge/version-0.1.5-blue) ![Assembly](https://img.shields.io/badge/language-x86__64%20Assembly-purple) ![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-Unlicense-green) ![Platform](https://img.shields.io/badge/platform-Linux%20x86__64-blue) ![Dependencies](https://img.shields.io/badge/dependencies-none-brightgreen) ![Binary](https://img.shields.io/badge/binary-~38KB-orange)

File viewer with syntax highlighting, written in x86_64 Linux assembly. No libc, no runtime, pure syscalls. Single static binary, 38KB.

A less/cat/bat replacement. Three modes: full-screen pager, cat-style output, and embeddable pane output for TUI applications.

## Install

```bash
git clone https://github.com/isene/show.git
cd show
make
sudo make install
```

## Live reload

`show` follows a file that other processes rewrite. Leave it open on a log,
a generated report or a file you are editing in another window, and the view
updates as the file changes.

- Written in place, or replaced atomically (write temp, rename over): both
  are picked up. The second is what vim, scribe and the CHasm config tools
  do, and it orphans a naive watch, so the watch re-arms on the path.
- Parked at the bottom, it stays at the bottom, so a growing file follows
  like `tail -f`. Anywhere else, your position is kept.
- Costs nothing when nothing happens: an inotify fd joins the keyboard in a
  single blocking `poll`, so an idle pager makes no wakeups at all. The
  watch is on the file itself, not its directory, so a busy directory full
  of other files never interrupts it.
- Piped input (`cmd | show`) has no file to follow and is unchanged.

### As a `tail -f`

```bash
show /var/log/syslog       # then press G
```

`G` parks you at the end, and from there every append scrolls into view,
with syntax colours and the pager's search and navigation still available.
Press `g` (or scroll up) to stop following and read back through the file:
appends keep arriving, but the view stays where you put it. `G` again to
resume following.

Unlike `tail -f` this costs nothing while the file is quiet, and unlike
`less +F` you are never locked out of the pager: the keyboard stays live
the whole time.

## Usage

```bash
show file.rb              # full-screen pager (if stdout is a terminal)
show file.py | grep def   # cat mode with colors (if stdout is a pipe)
echo "hello" | show       # pipe mode (reads stdin, pages like less)
show --lines 10-30 file.c # pane mode (for embedding in TUI apps)
show /var/log/syslog      # live view; press G to follow it like tail -f
```

## Screenshot

![show screenshot](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/isene/show/master/img/show-screenshot.png)

## Key Bindings (Pager Mode)

| Key | Action |
|-----|--------|
| j / Down | Scroll down one line |
| k / Up | Scroll up one line |
| Space / PgDn | Page down |
| b / PgUp | Page up |
| g / Home | Go to top |
| G / End | Go to bottom |
| l | Toggle line numbers |
| Left / Right | Horizontal scroll |
| q | Quit |

## Syntax Highlighting

20+ languages with keyword, type, function, string, comment, number, and operator coloring:

| Language | Extensions |
|----------|-----------|
| Assembly | .asm, .s |
| C/C++ | .c, .h, .cpp, .hpp, .cc |
| C# | .cs |
| Forth | .fth, .4th, .forth |
| Go | .go |
| Java | .java |
| JavaScript/TypeScript | .js, .ts, .jsx, .tsx |
| Julia | .jl |
| Lua | .lua |
| Python | .py |
| Ruby | .rb, .gemspec |
| Rust | .rs |
| Shell | .sh, .bash, .zsh, .fish |
| XRPN | .xrpn |
| JSON | .json |
| YAML | .yaml, .yml |
| TOML | .toml |
| Markdown | .md |
| Config | .conf, .cfg, .ini |

Shebang detection: files without extensions are identified by `#!/...ruby`, `#!/...python`, etc.

## Color Scheme

| Element | Color |
|---------|-------|
| Keywords | Hot pink (197) |
| Strings | Green (78) |
| Comments | Gray (242) |
| Numbers | Purple (141) |
| Types | Cyan (81) |
| Functions | Yellow-green (148) |
| Operators | Light gray (248) |
| Line numbers | Dark gray (240) |

Colors match the [pointer](https://github.com/isene/pointer) file manager's built-in highlighter.

## Modes

**Pager mode** (default when stdout is a terminal): full-screen with scrolling, status bar, and line numbers. Uses alternate screen buffer.

**Cat mode** (when stdout is a pipe): outputs all lines with syntax highlighting and line numbers. Works like `bat` or `cat` with colors.

**Piped input** (`cmd | show`): stdin is slurped, then show reopens `/dev/tty` for the keyboard and runs the full pager — the same trick `less` uses. If stdout is also piped (or there is no controlling terminal), it falls back to cat mode.

**Pane mode** (`--lines M-N`): outputs a specific line range with highlighting. No raw mode, no key handling. Designed for embedding in TUI applications like [pointer](https://github.com/isene/pointer) and [RTFM](https://github.com/isene/RTFM).

## Part of [CHasm](https://github.com/isene/chasm) (CHange to ASM)

| Tool | Purpose | Binary |
|------|---------|--------|
| **[show](https://github.com/isene/show)** | **File viewer** | **40KB** |
| [bare](https://github.com/isene/bare)     | Interactive shell | 150KB |
| [glass](https://github.com/isene/glass)   | Terminal emulator | 110KB |
| [tile](https://github.com/isene/tile)     | Window manager + strip status bar | 70KB |
| [chasm-bits](https://github.com/isene/chasm-bits) | Status-bar asmites | ~5KB each |
| [glyph](https://github.com/isene/glyph)   | TrueType rasterizer | 37KB |

## License

[Unlicense](https://unlicense.org/) - public domain.

## Credits

Created by Geir Isene (https://isene.org) with pair-programming with Claude Code.

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