rmeow
| Crates.io | rmeow |
| lib.rs | rmeow |
| version | 2.1.2 |
| created_at | 2025-12-08 01:45:24.320594+00 |
| updated_at | 2025-12-14 06:49:46.34257+00 |
| description | A command line tool that aims to be a replacement for cat/bat with better highlighting |
| homepage | |
| repository | https://github.com/datsfilipe/meow |
| max_upload_size | |
| id | 1972635 |
| size | 2,350,824 |
datsfilipe.xyz (datsfilipe)
documentation
README
Meow
Description
Meow is a terminal printing tool that uses a headless Neovim instance to handle syntax highlighting. It provides a simple way to get editor-quality colors in your terminal using your local colorscheme without managing separate bat or pygments configs.
Preview
https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/298e6135-b01e-454f-bbed-0f363dce52fa
Features
- Neovim Highlighting: Uses Neovim's syntax engine and your active MEOW_THEME or system colorscheme.
- Parallel Processing: Multithreaded rendering for high performance.
- Built-in Pager: Interactive TUI pager for files that exceed terminal height.
- Raw Streaming: cat-equivalent speed for binary files and devices (e.g., /dev/input/mice).
- Fast Mode: Automatically skips highlighting for large files to eliminate latency.
Installation
NixOS / Home Manager (Flake)
Add meow to your flake.nix inputs:
inputs.meow.url = "github:datsfilipe/meow";
Then add it to your system packages:
environment.systemPackages = [
inputs.meow.packages.${pkgs.system}.default
];
Cargo
cargo install rmeow
Usage
# standard highlight (uses Neovim)
meow src/main.rs
# multiple files (parallel processing)
meow src/*.rs
# force highlighting on large files (bypass fast path)
meow -f assets/huge_file.lua
# raw device streaming (zero overhead)
meow /dev/input/mice
Benchmarks
1. Syntax Highlighting (Large File)
| Command | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|
meow --force-color |
~199.2 ms | 1.0x (Winner) |
bat --color=always |
~1.476 s | 7.41x slower |
2. Standard Printing (Fast Path)
| Command | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|
bat |
~12.7 ms | 1.0x (Winner) |
meow |
~52.9 ms | 4.16x slower |
3. Raw Throughput (Streaming /dev/input/mice for 5 seconds)
| Command | Data Moved | Efficiency |
|---|---|---|
cat |
101,232 bytes | 100% |
meow |
103,323 bytes | ~100% |
Acknowledgements
- nvim-cat - inspiration for the initial idea of this project.
License
This project is licensed under the MIT License.