tabtab

library3.0.2jsnpmunverified

tabtab is a Node.js library designed to assist in building command-line interface (CLI) programs with robust tab completion capabilities for various shells, including Bash, Zsh, and Fish. Currently in version 3.0.2, this package underwent a significant rewrite in its 3.x series, aiming for simplification, reduced abstraction, and improved clarity. It differentiates itself by leveraging a similar shell script bridge technique to npm's acclaimed completion system, ensuring a familiar and effective user experience. While it doesn't have a rigid release cadence, major updates like the 3.0.0 overhaul introduce substantial changes, focusing on modern Node.js environments (Node.js > 7.10.1). The library specifically addresses the need for robust, fast, and debuggable completion logic for Node.js projects, moving away from previous versions' complexities and certain features like caching.

http-networking web-framework

npm install tabtab

github ↗package ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · TABTAB

tabtab

http-networkingjavascriptv3.0.2

Install

—

Import

—

Disk

—

Pass rate

0/ 6

Env Coverage0 / 6

glibc

18–22

musl

18–22

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

tested against v? · npm install

Install × environment matrix

Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux

musl

node 18–226 runs

build_error

glibc

node 18–226 runs

build_error

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

tabtab

✓ const tabtab = require('tabtab');

✗ import tabtab from 'tabtab';

tabtab primarily uses CommonJS `require` as demonstrated in official examples and is optimized for Node.js CLI scripts.

tabtab.log

✓ tabtab.log(['suggestion1', 'suggestion2']);

✗ import { log } from 'tabtab';

Access `log` as a property of the `tabtab` module directly after requiring it, rather than attempting a named import.

tabtab.install

✓ await tabtab.install({ name: 'my-cli', completer: 'my-cli' });

✗ tabtab.install('my-cli');

The `install` method expects an object with `name` and `completer` properties and returns a Promise.

This quickstart demonstrates how to set up, log, and parse tab completions for a Node.js CLI using `tabtab` and `minimist`, including installation and uninstallation commands for a hypothetical `tabtab-test` program.

#! /usr/bin/env node const tabtab = require('tabtab'); const minimist = require('minimist'); const opts = minimist(process.argv.slice(2), { string: ['foo', 'bar'], boolean: ['help', 'version', 'loglevel'] }); const args = opts._; const completion = env => { if (!env.complete) return; // Write your completions there if (env.prev === 'foo') { return tabtab.log(['is', 'this', 'the', 'real', 'life']); } if (env.prev === 'bar') { return tabtab.log(['is', 'this', 'just', 'fantasy']); } if (env.prev === '--loglevel') { return tabtab.log(['error', 'warn', 'info', 'notice', 'verbose']); } return tabtab.log([ '--help', '--version', '--loglevel', 'foo', 'bar', 'install-completion', 'completion', 'someCommand:someCommand description', { name: 'anotherOne', description: 'Another command with description' } ]); }; const run = async () => { const cmd = args[0]; if (cmd === 'install-completion') { await tabtab.install({ name: 'tabtab-test', completer: 'tabtab-test' }) .catch(err => console.error('INSTALL ERROR', err)); console.log('Completion installed for tabtab-test'); return; } if (cmd === 'uninstall-completion') { await tabtab.uninstall({ name: 'tabtab-test' }) .catch(err => console.error('UNINSTALL ERROR', err)); console.log('Completion uninstalled for tabtab-test'); return; } // If `completion` is specified, it means the shell is asking for completions if (opts.completion) { return completion(await tabtab.parse(process.env)); } // Your regular CLI logic here console.log('Running tabtab-test command with options:', opts, 'and args:', args); }; run().catch(console.error);

Debug

Known issues

breakingtabtab v3.x explicitly does not support Windows environments. Attempting to use it on Windows will result in errors.

fix

Use tabtab v2.x for older Node.js versions or seek alternative completion libraries for Windows-specific CLI tools.

affects: >=3.0.0

breakingThe internal caching mechanism present in earlier versions of tabtab has been removed in the 3.x series.

fix

Applications relying on tabtab's internal caching will need to implement their own caching logic if required.

affects: >=3.0.0

breakingtabtab v3.x requires Node.js version 7.10.1 or higher. Older Node.js versions (e.g., Node.js 6) are not supported.

fix

Upgrade your Node.js environment to 7.10.1 or newer, or downgrade tabtab to version 2.2.x for compatibility with Node.js 6.

affects: >=3.0.0

breakingThe 3.x version of tabtab no longer ships with a binary file, operating solely as a library. This changes how it might be invoked or integrated if previous versions relied on a direct binary.

fix

Ensure your CLI application integrates `tabtab` purely as a library, calling its functions directly within your Node.js script.

affects: >=3.0.0

gotchaWhile tabtab supports Bash, Zsh, and Fish, the 3.0.0 alpha version (and subsequent minor versions in the 3.x series) primarily focused on Bash. This might imply potential subtle differences or less robust support for Zsh and Fish shells compared to Bash.

fix

Thoroughly test completion behavior in Zsh and Fish shells and report any inconsistencies to the project maintainers. Be prepared for potential workarounds if issues arise.

affects: >=3.0.0

Errors

Common errors & fixes

Error: Node.js version X.Y.Z is not supported by tabtab 3.x. Please use tabtab 2.x or upgrade Node.js.

Attempting to use tabtab v3.x with a Node.js version older than 7.10.1.

fix

Upgrade Node.js to version 7.10.1 or newer, or install `tabtab@2.2.x` using `npm install tabtab@2.2.x`.

TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'complete') or 'Cannot set properties of undefined (setting 'completer')

Incorrectly calling `tabtab.parse()` or not providing `process.env` when setting up completion logic, or an incomplete `env` object.

fix

Ensure `tabtab.parse(process.env)` is correctly called and its result is passed to your completion handler. Verify the `env` object structure if manually creating it.

Completion not working after 'install-completion'.

The shell script generated by `tabtab.install()` might not be correctly sourced into your shell's configuration (`.bashrc`, `.zshrc`, `.config/fish/completions/`).

fix

After running `install-completion`, restart your terminal or manually source your shell configuration file (e.g., `source ~/.bashrc`). Double-check the install output for instructions.

Error: Platform not supported: Windows is not supported by tabtab 3.x.

Running `tabtab` v3.x on a Windows operating system.

fix

tabtab v3.x is not compatible with Windows. Use `tabtab@2.2.x` if you need some level of Windows support with older Node.js, or choose a different completion library for Windows.

Upgrade

Version history

3.0.2latest on npm

Audit

Dependencies

No dependency data recorded yet.

Agent activity

8 hits · last 30 days

node

OpenAI (training)

Resources

githubhttps://github.com/mklabs/tabtab ↗

packagehttps://www.npmjs.com/package/tabtab ↗