snip

Your terminal's memory.
Save, search, and execute code snippets in milliseconds.

Website · Quick Start · Commands · Demo · Configuration · Contributing

Why snip?

Most snippet managers only handle shell commands. snip handles code — deploy scripts, API calls, Docker commands, JS utilities — across any language, with safety rails, a real TUI, and unix pipeline integration.

Feature	snip	pet	navi	tldr	dotfiles
Run snippets directly	✅ Any language	✅ Shell only	✅ Shell only	❌	✅ Shell only
Multi-language (JS, Python, Ruby…)	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Unix pipeline integration	✅ `snip pipe`	❌	❌	❌	❌
Interactive TUI	✅ Split-pane	❌	✅ Basic	❌	❌
Dangerous command detection	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
fzf integration	✅ Native	✅	✅	❌	Manual
SQLite backend	✅ Optional	❌	❌	❌	❌
Gist sync	✅	✅	❌	❌	Manual
Zero config	✅	✅	Needs cheats	✅	Heavy
Shell widget (Ctrl+G)	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Template variables	✅ `{{var:default}}`	❌	✅	❌	❌
Statistics & streaks	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Import from URL	✅ `snip grab`	❌	❌	❌	❌

Quick Start

# Install
npm install -g snip-manager

# Save a snippet
echo 'docker compose up -d --build' | snip add dc-up --lang sh --tags docker

# Find it
snip search docker

# Run it
snip exec dc-up

# Launch TUI
snip ui

Installation

Prerequisites: Node.js ≥ 18

# npm
npm install -g snip-manager

# yarn
yarn global add snip-manager

# pnpm
pnpm add -g snip-manager

# verify
snip --version
snip doctor          # validates storage, editor, fzf, shell, gist

Quick Setup with `snip init`

First time? Run the guided setup wizard:

snip init

This interactive wizard will:

✍️ Set your preferred editor (vim, code, nano, etc.)
⌨️ Install the Ctrl+G shell widget for your shell (zsh/bash/fish)
📦 Seed 10 example snippets to get you started
🎨 Optionally launch the TUI for a quick tour

Goal: Zero to "aha moment" in under 60 seconds.

Commands

Core

Command	Description
`snip add <name>`	Save a snippet from stdin or `$EDITOR`
`snip list`	List all snippets (`--json`, `--tag`, `--lang`, `--sort`, `--limit`)
`snip search <query>`	Fuzzy search (`--json`, `--limit`)
`snip show <name>`	Display snippet (`--json`, `--raw`, `--edit`)
`snip run <name>`	Preview + confirm + execute (with template prompts)
`snip exec <name>`	Execute immediately, no modal (`--dry-run`, `--force`)
`snip pipe <name>`	Pipeline mode — stdin→template→stdout (`--json`, `--dry-run`)
`snip edit <name>`	Open in `$EDITOR`
`snip rm <name>`	Delete (alias: `delete`)
`snip update <name>`	Update metadata (`--tags`, `--lang`)
`snip last`	Re-run the last executed snippet
`snip recent [n]`	Show last n used snippets (default: 5)

Utilities

Command	Description
`snip cp <src> <dest>`	Duplicate a snippet
`snip mv <old> <new>`	Rename a snippet
`snip cat <name>`	Print raw content to stdout (for piping)
`snip stats`	Library statistics (`--json`, language chart, top tags, `--streak`)
`snip import-history`	Suggest commands from shell history run 3+ times (`--last`, `--min-count`)
`snip grab <url>`	Import from URL or `github:user/repo/path`
`snip fzf`	fzf search with live preview
`snip seed`	Clear data and add 10 example snippets

Integration

Command	Description
`snip alias [shell]`	Generate shell aliases (`eval "$(snip alias)"`)
`snip widget [shell]`	Ctrl+G hotkey widget for zsh/bash/fish
`snip completion [shell]`	Tab-completion script (bash, zsh, fish)
`snip sync push [query]`	Push to GitHub Gist
`snip sync pull <id>`	Pull from GitHub Gist
`snip doctor`	Health check
`snip config <action>`	Get / set configuration
`snip ui`	Interactive TUI
`snip init`	Guided setup (editor, widget, example snippets, optional TUI)

Import/Export

Command	Description
`snip export [path]`	Export snippets to JSON file
`snip import <file>`	Import snippets from JSON file

Features

Interactive TUI

snip ui

Split-pane interface with fuzzy search with Catppuccin Mocha color palette. Keyboard shortcuts:

Key	Action
`j` / `k` or `↑` / `↓`	Navigate
`Ctrl+u` / `Ctrl+d`	Page up/down
`/`	Live search
`Enter`	Preview
`c`	Copy to clipboard
`r`	Run
`e`	Edit
`a`	Add new
`d`	Delete (type name to confirm, `z` to undo within 5s)
`t`	Tag filter
`s`	Cycle sort mode
`q`	Quit

First time? The TUI shows helpful overlays and keybinding hints on first launch.

Zero-Friction Execution

snip exec deploy-api            # run immediately
snip exec deploy-api --dry-run  # print only
snip exec deploy-api --force    # skip safety warning

Safety First: Dangerous commands (rm -rf, sudo, system-level ops) are detected automatically. snip run shows a preview and requires explicit confirmation. snip exec warns but lets you --force past.

Tip: Use snip run for interactive use (preview + confirm), snip exec for scripts (no prompts).

Parameterized Snippets

Use {{variable}} or {{variable:default}} syntax:

echo 'docker run --rm -it {{image:ubuntu:24.04}} {{cmd:bash}}' \
  | snip add docker-dev --lang sh --tags docker

snip run docker-dev
#   image [ubuntu:24.04]: node:20
#   cmd [bash]: ↵

Variables are auto-detected at runtime — no extra flags needed.

Safety

Dangerous commands (rm -rf, sudo, system-level ops) are detected automatically. snip run shows a preview and requires explicit confirmation. snip exec warns but lets you --force past.

Shell Aliases

eval "$(snip alias)"        # every snippet becomes a command
deploy-api                  # → snip exec deploy-api

Ctrl+G Widget

# add to ~/.zshrc
eval "$(snip widget zsh)"
# press Ctrl+G anywhere → search → paste snippet inline

Gist Sync

snip sync push               # push all
snip sync push docker        # push matching
snip sync pull <gist-id>     # pull

fzf Integration

snip fzf                     # search + preview
snip fzf | pbcopy            # pipe to clipboard

Pipeline Mode

# Run a snippet, pipe output forward
snip pipe deploy-api | tee /tmp/deploy.log

# Pipe JSON as template values — no interactive prompts
echo '{"host":"prod.api.com","branch":"main"}' | snip pipe deploy --json

# Stdin passthrough to the snippet's process
curl -s https://api.example.com/data | snip pipe parse-json

# Dry-run: see resolved content without executing
echo '{"image":"node:20"}' | snip pipe docker-dev --json --dry-run

Pipeline mode is perfect for:

CI/CD workflows — pipe deployment outputs to logs
JSON processing — chain snippets with jq or other tools
Automation scripts — resolve templates programmatically
Zero-chrome output — clean stdout for piping

Also pipe-friendly: snip cat, snip show --raw, snip list --json, snip search --json.

Grab from URL

snip grab https://example.com/script.sh --tags ops
snip grab github:user/repo/scripts/backup.sh

Language auto-detected from extension and shebang.

Shell History Import

Turn your repeated shell commands into snippets automatically:

snip import-history --last 500

Analyzes your last 500 shell commands, finds those run 3+ times, and suggests saving them as snippets. Perfect for discovering your own "muscle memory" commands.

Re-run Last Snippet

snip last

Instantly re-run the last executed snippet. Like !! but for your snippet library.

Pro Tips

# Create a snippet from a GitHub gist
snip grab https://gist.github.com/user/123456 --tags utility

# Copy snippet to clipboard
snip fzf | pbcopy        # macOS
snip fzf | xclip         # Linux

# View snippet statistics
snip stats --json | jq '.totalSnippets'

# Check your usage streak
snip stats --streak

# Find recently used snippets
snip recent 10

# Export your entire library
snip export ~/snippets-backup.json

# Import from a backup
snip import ~/snippets-backup.json

# Duplicate and modify a snippet
snip cp deploy-staging deploy-prod
snip edit deploy-prod

Configuration

snip config set editor "code --wait"
snip config set useSqlite true       # for 100+ snippets
snip config list

Option	Default	Description
`editor`	`$EDITOR` / `vi`	Snippet editor
`useSqlite`	`false`	SQLite instead of JSON
`snippetDir`	`~/.snip`	Data directory

Validation: snip config validates allowed keys and types, rejecting invalid values with helpful error messages.

SQLite uses better-sqlite3 (native module) or falls back to sql.js (WASM). If better-sqlite3 is missing, snip doctor will suggest installing it with npm install -g better-sqlite3.

Architecture

snip
├── bin/snip              # Entry point
├── lib/
│   ├── cli.js            # Command definitions (Commander.js)
│   ├── storage.js        # JSON + SQLite abstraction
│   ├── search.js         # Fuse.js fuzzy search
│   ├── exec.js           # Multi-language runner
│   ├── template.js       # {{var:default}} engine
│   ├── safety.js         # Dangerous command detection
│   ├── config.js         # Config loader
│   ├── colors.js         # Unified brand color palette
│   ├── clipboard.js      # Cross-platform clipboard support
│   ├── lock.js           # Concurrency lock for storage
│   ├── migrate_to_sqlite.js  # JSON → SQLite migration
│   ├── readline.js       # Interactive prompts
│   ├── streak.js         # Usage streak tracking
│   ├── sync/             # Gist sync module
│   └── commands/         # One file per command (20+)
├── completions/          # Shell completions (bash, zsh, fish)
├── __tests__/            # Jest test suite
├── scripts/              # Seed / smoke scripts
└── docs/                 # Website + demo

Design decisions:

Commander.js for CLI parsing — battle-tested, zero-config subcommands.
Fuse.js for fuzzy search — searches name, tags, and content simultaneously.
Dual storage — JSON for instant start, SQLite for scale. Same API, swap with one config.
No daemon — every invocation is stateless. Fast cold starts.
Blessed for TUI — raw terminal control, no React/Ink overhead.
Unified brand colors — #ff4d00 orange across all CLI output.

Development

git clone https://github.com/Bharath-code/snip.git
cd snip
npm install

# Run locally
node bin/snip --help

# Seed example snippets
node bin/snip seed

# Run tests
npm test

# Lint code
npm run lint

Testing

Tests use Jest and cover storage, search, template engine, exec, safety, and CLI integration.

npm test                     # run all tests
npx jest --verbose           # verbose output
npx jest __tests__/exec.test.js  # single file

Project Structure for Contributors

Directory	Purpose
`lib/commands/`	Add a new command = add one file here + register in `cli.js`
`lib/storage.js`	Storage abstraction — both backends
`__tests__/`	Mirror of `lib/` — one test file per module
`completions/`	Shell completion scripts

Troubleshooting

"command not found: snip"

Ensure npm's global bin is in your PATH:

export PATH="$(npm prefix -g)/bin:$PATH"

Editor not opening

snip config set editor "vim"     # or code, nvim, nano, subl

GitHub token errors with Gist sync

If you see 401 errors when pushing/pulling gists:

# Set a valid GitHub PAT (Personal Access Token)
export SNIP_GIST_TOKEN=your_token_here

Generate a token at https://github.com/settings/tokens with gist scope.

SQLite mode errors

If snip config set useSqlite true causes errors:

# Install the native SQLite module
npm install -g better-sqlite3

# Or continue using JSON backend (default)
snip config set useSqlite false

snip doctor will detect and suggest fixes for SQLite issues.

Permission errors on global install

Use nvm to avoid sudo:

nvm install --lts
npm install -g snip-manager

Roadmap

Shipped in v0.4.0

Planned

Snippet groups / namespaces (docker/cleanup, k8s/deploy)
Snippet versioning & history
snip share — single-snippet gist sharing
snip diff a b — diff two snippets
snip watch <name> — re-run snippet on file edit
AI snippet generation (snip ai generate "...")
Team shared snippets
VS Code / Neovim extension

See CHANGELOG.md for release history.

FAQ

What is snip?

A CLI tool for saving and running code snippets from the terminal. Think of it as a personal, searchable library for commands and code blocks you run repeatedly.

How is snip different from dotfiles?

Dotfiles store configuration. snip stores executable snippets — commands and code blocks you run. snip provides instant search, multi-language execution, and safety rails.

Does snip support custom languages?

Yes. Use --lang to specify any language. snip resolves the interpreter (node, python3, ruby, etc.) automatically.

Is my data secure?

Snippets are stored locally in ~/.snip/. Nothing leaves your machine unless you explicitly snip sync push to GitHub Gist.

Contributing

Contributions welcome. See CONTRIBUTING.md for setup and guidelines.

# Good first issues
# https://github.com/Bharath-code/snip/labels/good%20first%20issue

Community

Issues — Bug reports & feature requests
Discussions — Questions & ideas
Security Policy — Vulnerability reporting

Provide feedback

Saved searches

Use saved searches to filter your results more quickly

snip

Why snip?

Quick Start

Installation

Quick Setup with `snip init`

Commands

Core

Utilities

Integration

Import/Export

Features

Interactive TUI

Zero-Friction Execution

Parameterized Snippets

Safety

Shell Aliases

Ctrl+G Widget

Gist Sync

fzf Integration

Pipeline Mode

Grab from URL

Shell History Import

Re-run Last Snippet

Pro Tips

Configuration

Architecture

Development

Testing

Project Structure for Contributors

Troubleshooting

Roadmap

Shipped in v0.4.0

Planned

FAQ

Contributing

Community

License

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README.md

Latest commit

History

README.md

File metadata and controls

snip

Why snip?

Quick Start

Installation

Quick Setup with snip init

Commands

Core

Utilities

Integration

Import/Export

Features

Interactive TUI

Zero-Friction Execution

Parameterized Snippets

Safety

Shell Aliases

Ctrl+G Widget

Gist Sync

fzf Integration

Pipeline Mode

Grab from URL

Shell History Import

Re-run Last Snippet

Pro Tips

Configuration

Architecture

Development

Testing

Project Structure for Contributors

Troubleshooting

Roadmap

Shipped in v0.4.0

Planned

FAQ

Contributing

Community

License

Quick Setup with `snip init`