| name | viewing-files |
| description | Use when viewing source files or documentation with syntax highlighting, previewing files with Git integration, or when enhanced readability would improve code review |
bat: Enhanced File Viewer with Syntax Highlighting
Always invoke viewing-files skill for enhanced file viewing - do not execute bash commands directly.
Use bat as a modern replacement for cat with beautiful syntax highlighting, Git integration, and smart features.
When to Use bat vs cat
Use bat when:
- Viewing source code or structured text files
- Syntax highlighting improves readability
- Need Git integration or line numbers
- Working with files >50 lines where highlighting helps
- Previewing changes from other tools
Use cat when:
- Very small files (<10 lines)
- Non-text/binary files
- Simple concatenation without formatting
- When highlighting would add noise
- Performance-critical operations on many tiny files
Common workflow: Any skill → viewing-files skill (preview enhanced output)
Default Strategy
Invoke viewing-files skill for enhanced file viewing with syntax highlighting. Use when viewing source files, documentation, or when syntax highlighting improves readability.
Common workflow: Any discovery skill → viewing-files skill (preview enhanced output).
Key Options
Display Control
-n/--number line numbers only-p/--plain plain output (no decorations)-A/--show-all show non-printable characters--line-range START:END view specific lines--wrap never disable line wrapping--tabs N set tab width to N spaces
Language & Themes
-l/--language LANG force language detection--list-languages show supported languages--list-themes show available themes--theme NAME set color theme (default: Monokai Extended)--theme-dark/--theme-light auto-switch themes based on terminalBAT_THEME environment variable for default theme
Output Styling
--style COMPONENTS control output (numbers,changes,header,grid,snip)--decorations auto|never|always control decorations--color always|never|auto control coloring
Paging
--paging auto|never|always control paging behavior--pager COMMAND set custom pagerBAT_PAGER environment variable
Detailed Reference
For comprehensive usage patterns, integration examples, advanced features, and troubleshooting, load bat guide when needing:
- Git integration workflows
- Output styling and customization details
- Theme configuration and options
- Performance optimization tips
- Shell integration examples
The guide includes:
- Core usage patterns and language control
- Git integration workflows
- Output styling and customization
- Integration with other tools (fzf, git, ripgrep)
- Advanced features and configuration
- Performance tips and troubleshooting
Skill Combinations
For Discovery Phase
- finding-files → fuzzy-selecting → viewing-files: Find files, select interactively, view with syntax highlighting
- searching-text → fuzzy-selecting → viewing-files: Search content, select matches, view with highlighting
- querying-json/querying-yaml → fuzzy-selecting → viewing-files: Extract data, select entries, view formatted output
For Analysis Phase
- analyzing-code-structure → viewing-files: Preview structural changes with syntax highlighting
- replacing-text → viewing-files: Preview find-and-replace results before committing
- extracting-code-structure → viewing-files: View extracted code structure with formatting
For Output Preview
- analyzing-code → viewing-files: View code statistics with formatted output
- searching-text → viewing-files: Preview matched files with context highlighting
- querying-json/querying-yaml → viewing-files: View extracted structured data with syntax formatting
Integration Examples
fd --type file | fzf --preview="bat --color=always --style=numbers {}" --bind="enter:execute(bat {})"
