Files
cumulus/README.md
T
skkeyeandClaude Opus 5.5 bfc184f5ef Add the command line: commands, completion, ghost text and history
`:` opens a vim-style command line. Every command is described once, in
a typed table (name, the short form that still works, aliases, a `!`,
its arguments and what it does), so parsing, completion and the help can
never disagree. Short forms work as in vim (`:e`, `:vs`, `:q!`, `:x`),
and a test checks that no typed name can mean two commands.

Parsing turns a line into a typed Call, checking every argument against
what the app offers (open documents, nodes, colors, styles, settings),
or says what's wrong in words: the usage when an argument is missing,
the choices when a word isn't one, "did you mean :fold?" for a typo.
Documents and nodes match fuzzily (`:b gpl` finds Garden plans).

While typing, a popup above the word lists what can finish it (command
names by prefix, choices, files from the folders on disk, documents and
nodes fuzzily), with Tab and Shift-Tab putting them in the line. Ghost
text after the cursor comes from the history first, like fish's, then
from the best candidate; → or Ctrl-e takes it. Up and Down browse the
lines that start with what was typed. The line itself is a small input
that steps over whole characters, accents and emoji included.

The canvas example opens it with `:` and runs a handful of commands:
:fold, :color, :border, :tag, :focus, :rename, :in (to an Inbox),
:link, :unlink, :find, :version and :q.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <[email protected]>
2026-10-01 03:53:51 -04:00

2.5 KiB

cumulus

Brainstorm in the terminal: ideas as nodes on a 2D canvas, connected, folded and color-coded, across as many documents as you like. Vim keys first; the mouse works too. Runs on Windows and Linux.

Status: being built, one stage at a time. See DESIGN.md for the plan; this README grows with the app.

Build and run

You need Rust (rustup.rs). The exact version is pinned in rust-toolchain.toml, and rustup installs it by itself the first time.

cargo build --release

The program is target/release/cumulus (cumulus.exe on Windows): copy it to a folder on your PATH.

  • Windows: nothing else to install. The .exe carries its own C runtime and runs on any Windows 10 or 11.
  • Linux (Void, Fedora…): build the same way. You can also build a static Linux binary from Windows with cargo linux: it lands in target/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/release/cumulus and runs on any distribution.

Keys

The plan for the everyday keys (all of them are in DESIGN.md):

Keys What they do
hjkl move to the nearest node that way
gh gj gk gl parent, next sibling, previous sibling, first child
o O a new sibling below / above, new child
i or Enter edit the title
dd x delete the branch / just the node
u Ctrl-r undo / redo
za zf zi fold, auto-fold, focus
+ - zoom in / out
C M v connect, move, select
<Space> the action menu
: ? command line, help

After the first key of a sequence (g, z, d, <Space>…), a popup lists what can follow.

Development

cargo test    # run the tests
cargo lint    # clippy, treating warnings as errors
cargo fmt     # format the code

While the app is being built, the examples try out each part:

cargo run --example canvas                         # the canvas, vim keys, which-key, :commands
cargo test show_canvas -- --ignored --nocapture    # print it at each zoom, as text