Terminal UX

Terminal UX

Principles

• Keep interactive mode fast and readable.
• Keep command mode predictable and composable.
• Print machine output to stdout; print failures to stderr.
• Never force browser side effects in command mode unless requested.

Modes

Interactive mode (nbtca):

• Full TUI menu with key hints.
• Vim-style navigation (j/k/g/G/q) plus arrow keys.
• Best for human-driven exploration.

Command mode (nbtca <command>):

• Single-purpose execution.
• Suitable for pipes and scripts.
• Supports --plain, --json (events), and --open for URL commands.

Command Output Contract

• nbtca events --json: prints JSON array only.
• nbtca events --plain: prints plain text table.
• nbtca repair|website|github|roadmap: prints URL only.
• nbtca <url-command> --open: opens browser explicitly.

Visual Conventions

• ASCII-safe menu symbols: [..], [DIR], [MD], [x].
• Color and gradient effects are used only in TTY-friendly paths.
• Non-TTY path avoids animated visual output.

Notes for Contributors

• Prefer simple argument handling and explicit side effects.
• Keep prompts shallow; avoid forcing users back to main menu after every action.
• Add features behind clear subcommands before adding new menu depth.