cxt - Context Extractor

A command-line tool that aggregates file and directory contents into your clipboard, perfect for providing project context to AI chatbots in your browser like ChatGPT, Perplexity etc.

Showcase

cxt_demo.mp4

Watch the demo to see cxt in action - interactive file selection and clipboard aggregation

Use Case

When you're working in the terminal and need to quickly share your project's code structure and contents with an AI assistant, cxt makes it effortless. Instead of manually copying files one by one, you can select multiple files and directories, and cxt will aggregate all their contents with clear path headers, giving the AI full context of your project structure.

Installation

Universal Install Script

The easiest way to install cxt on any system:

curl -sSfL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaibhav-mattoo/cxt/main/install.sh | sh

This script will automatically detect your system and install the appropriate binary.

Remember to add ~/.local/bin to your $PATH if prompted by the install script, by adding export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH" in the end of your shell config(~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc etc).

From Cargo

cargo install cxt

Using homebrew

You can install cxt through brew on Linux or macOS by:

brew tap vaibhav-mattoo/cxt
brew install cxt

On Arch Linux (AUR)

You can install cxt directly from the AUR:

yay -S cxt
# or
paru -S cxt

From Source

git clone https://github.com/vaibhav-mattoo/cxt.git
cd cxt
cargo install --path .

Quick Start

Interactive Mode

Launch the interactive file selector:

cxt
# or
cxt --tui

Navigate with arrow keys or hjkl, select files/directories with Space, and confirm with c.

Command Line Mode

Wildcard functionality is now supported! You can use patterns like ".py" or "src/**/.rs".

Copy specific files to clipboard:

cxt file1.txt file2.py src/

Usage Examples

Basic Usage

# Copy a single file to clipboard
cxt main.rs

# Copy multiple files and directories
cxt src/ tests/ README.md Cargo.toml

# Print to stdout and copy to clipboard
cxt -p src/

# Write to a file and copy to clipboard
cxt -w output.txt src/

Path Formatting Options

# Use relative paths in headers
cxt -r src/

# Disable path headers entirely
cxt -n src/

# Include hidden files when walking directories
cxt --hidden src/

Combining Options

# Print to stdout with relative paths and copy to clipboard
cxt -p -r src/ tests/

# Write to file with no path headers
cxt -w output.txt -n src/

# Ignore a directory while copying a project
cxt -i bin src/

Interactive TUI Mode

The Terminal User Interface (TUI) provides an intuitive way to browse and select files:

Navigation

• Arrow keys or hjkl: Move cursor
• Space: Select/unselect file or directory
• Enter or l or →: Open directory
• Backspace or h or ←: Go to parent directory
• c: Confirm selection and exit
• q: Quit without selection

TUI Features

• Visual selection: Selected items are highlighted
• Directory expansion: Selecting a directory includes all files within it
• Path toggles: Press r to toggle relative paths, n to toggle no path headers

Command Line Options

Output Options

• -p, --print: Print content to stdout (also copies to clipboard)
• -w, --write <FILE>: Write content to specified file
• -t, --tui: Launch interactive TUI file selector

Path Formatting

• -r, --relative: Use relative paths in headers
• -n, --no-path: Disable file path headers
• --hidden: Include hidden files when walking directories
• -i, --ignore <PATH>: Ignore a file or directory (only one allowed)

Examples

# Interactive selection
cxt --tui

# Print with relative paths
cxt -p -r src/

# Write to file, no path headers
cxt -w context.txt -n src/ tests/

# Include hidden files
cxt --hidden src/

Output Format

By default, cxt adds path headers to distinguish between files:

--- File: /path/to/file1.txt ---
Content of file1.txt

--- File: /path/to/file2.py ---
Content of file2.py

With --relative, paths are shown relative to current directory:

--- File: file1.txt ---
Content of file1.txt

--- File: src/file2.py ---
Content of file2.py

With --no-path, only raw content is included:

Content of file1.txt
Content of file2.py

Use Cases

Perfect for providing project context to AI assistants and sharing code snippets with colleagues:

# Quick project overview
cxt --tui

# Specific files for debugging
cxt -r main.rs error.log

# Full project structure
cxt -r src/ tests/ README.md

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Uninstall

To uninstall cxt, you can run the command:

curl -sSfL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaibhav-mattoo/cxt/main/uninstall.sh | sh

If you installed the software using a package manager, remove it using the package manager's uninstall command.