I've developed `chatsh`, an innovative interactive shell that merges your command-line workflow with real-time chat capabilities, directly in your terminal. Think of it as a filesystem where directories are chat rooms, and commands like `ls`, `cd`, and `touch` manage your conversations, while `vim` opens a dedicated chat window!
This project started from my desire to reduce context-switching between focused work in the terminal and coordinating with others in separate chat applications. I wanted to bring a slice of that interactionfluidity directly into the command line.
Tech Stack: - Client & Server: Go (everything is built in Go!, I love Go!) - Communication Protocol: gRPC (leveraging bidirectional streaming for efficient, real-time chat)
Key Features: - Filesystem-like Chat Navigation: Use familiar commands like `ls` (list chat rooms), `cd` (join a room), `pwd` (show current room), `touch` (create a new room), and `rm` (delete a room). - `vim`-inspired Chat UI: Once in a room (via `chatsh vim <room_name>`), you get a modal, `vim`-like interface for sending and receiving messages. - Seamless Integration: Combines the power of shell operations with a dedicated, persistent chat environment. - Familiar Yet New: Experience common shell commands in an entirely new, conversational context.
`chatsh` aims to make the terminal a more interactive, collaborative, and less isolated space, without sacrificing the power and familiarity of the command line.
I'm excited to share this with the HN community and would greatly appreciate any feedback, thoughts, or suggestions you might have! Let me know what you think.