# edtr
<p align="center">
<img src="assets/logo.svg" width="520" alt="edtr — editor router" />
</p>
<p align="center">
<b>An editor router/transfer tool that dispatches files to the right editor based on rules.</b>
</p>
<p align="center">
<a href="https://crates.io/crates/edtr"><img src="https://img.shields.io/crates/v/edtr.svg" alt="crates.io"/></a>
<a href="https://github.com/yukimemi/edtr/actions"><img src="https://github.com/yukimemi/edtr/actions/workflows/ci.yml/badge.svg" alt="CI"/></a>
<a href="./LICENSE"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue.svg" alt="License: MIT"/></a>
</p>
```
┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ ╭──▶ nvim
│ file │ ──▶ │ edtr │ ──▶ ├──▶ code
└──────┘ └──────┘ ╰──▶ …
```
`edtr` is a fast, cross-platform CLI that takes one or more file paths and
forwards them to the right editor according to rules you write in TOML. It is
the Rust successor to [`hitori.vim`](https://github.com/yukimemi/hitori.vim):
same "single editor instance" idea, but editor-agnostic and with near-zero
startup cost — perfect for registering as your OS default program for text
files, or as `$EDITOR`.
## Features
- **Rule-based routing**: regex patterns in TOML decide which editor opens
which file. Different paths can route to different editors (VSCode for one
project, nvim for another).
- **Single-instance neovim** via named pipes / unix sockets: `edtr` connects
to a running nvim and sends `:edit` over msgpack-RPC. Works on Windows via
`\\.\pipe\...` — no Deno, no plugin framework, no cold start.
- **Sync or async** per rule: `sync = true` waits for the editor to exit
(perfect for `git commit`), `sync = false` fires and forgets (perfect for
double-clicking files in the OS file explorer).
- **Tera templating** throughout the config: `{{ file_path }}`,
`{{ env.HOME }}`, `{% if is_windows() %}...{% endif %}`, and every Tera
filter.
- **Generic editor support**: any CLI editor works (`code`, `vim`, `helix`,
`subl`, `emacsclient`, …) without custom code.
- **Fast**: static Rust binary, cold start in milliseconds. On Windows this
is often 10–100× faster than denops-based alternatives.
## Install
```sh
cargo install edtr
```
Binary lives at `~/.cargo/bin/edtr`. Make sure that's on your `PATH`.
## Quick start
`edtr` works out of the box with a bundled default config — it routes
everything to a single shared neovim instance, except `$EDITOR`-callback
files (`COMMIT_EDITMSG` etc.) which always get a fresh `sync = true` instance
so `git commit` works.
To customize, drop a file at:
- Linux / macOS: `~/.config/edtr/edtr.toml`
- Windows: `%APPDATA%\edtr\edtr.toml`
Minimal example:
```toml
# ~/.config/edtr/edtr.toml
[editors.nvim]
kind = "neovim"
command = "nvim"
# The pipe used to reach the running nvim. is_windows()/is_linux()/is_mac()
# are edtr-provided Tera functions.
listen = '{% if is_windows() %}\\.\pipe\nvim-edtr-{{ group }}{% else %}/tmp/nvim-edtr-{{ group }}.sock{% endif %}'
[editors.code]
kind = "generic"
command = "code"
args_remote = ["--reuse-window"]
args_new = ["--new-window"]
# git commit, rebase, etc. — always a blocking fresh nvim.
[[rules]]
name = "editor-callback"
mode = "new"
sync = true
# Route files under ~/src/company/ to VSCode.
[[rules]]
name = "work"
match = '/src/company/'
editor = "code"
mode = "remote"
# Default: everything else goes to the shared nvim.
[[rules]]
name = "default"
match = '.*'
editor = "nvim"
group = "default"
mode = "remote"
```
Then:
```sh
# Open any file in the right editor
edtr notes.md
# See which rule would match, without actually dispatching
edtr check notes.md src/main.rs
# Same dispatch logic, just don't execute
edtr --dry-run notes.md
```
### As `$EDITOR`
```sh
export EDITOR=edtr
git commit # → edtr routes COMMIT_EDITMSG to nvim mode=new sync=true
```
The bundled default config is compatible with every `$EDITOR=...` caller I
know of (git, crontab, visudo, fc, mutt, …).
### As OS default program (Windows)
Right-click a `.txt` → Open with → Choose another app → Browse → point at
`edtr.exe`. `edtr` will honor the rules and open the file in the correct
editor, spawning a new console if the target editor is a TUI.
## Configuration reference
### `[vars]`
User-defined variables available as `{{ vars.NAME }}` in every other
template:
```toml
[vars]
proj_root = "/home/me/src"
```
### `[editors.<name>]`
| `kind` | `"neovim"` / `"generic"` | yes | backend selection |
| `command` | string | yes | the editor binary (PATH-resolved) |
| `listen` | string | neovim | socket / named pipe path for RPC |
| `args_new` | array\<string> | no | extra args when `mode = "new"` |
| `args_remote` | array\<string> | no | extra args when spawning for `mode = "remote"` fallback |
| `env` | table | no | env vars passed to the spawned editor |
### `[[rules]]`
| `name` | string | `rule[N]` | human-readable label (shown in `check`) |
| `match` | regex string or `[regex]` | required | path pattern(s); paths are normalized to `/` before matching |
| `editor` | string | required | key from `[editors.*]` |
| `group` | string | `"default"` | instance identity (one nvim per group) |
| `mode` | `"remote"` / `"new"` | `"remote"` | `remote` = reuse existing, `new` = always fresh |
| `sync` | bool | `false` | `true` = block until editor exits |
### Template context
Available in `rule.group`, `editor.command`, `editor.listen`, `editor.args_*`:
| `file_path` | `C:/Users/you/notes/todo.md` |
| `file_dir` | `C:/Users/you/notes` |
| `file_name` | `todo.md` |
| `file_stem` | `todo` |
| `file_ext` | `md` (no leading dot) |
| `editor_*` | same five fields for `command` |
| `cwd` | current working directory |
| `group` | resolved group (phase 3 only) |
| `rule` | resolved rule name (phase 3) |
| `vars.<key>` | your `[vars]` entries |
| `env.<KEY>` | process env at edtr invocation |
And these edtr-specific Tera functions:
- `is_windows()`, `is_linux()`, `is_mac()` — booleans for OS branching.
Plus everything Tera ships — `replace`, `split`, `join`, `length`, `now()`,
and all other stock [Tera features][tera].
## CLI reference
```
edtr [FILES]... # dispatch files per rules (default action)
edtr check <FILES>... # dry-run: show matched rule per file
edtr completion <shell> # emit shell completion script
edtr --help
edtr --version
# v0.2+:
edtr list # list alive editor instances
```
Flags:
- `-c, --config <PATH>` — override config path
- `-E, --editor <NAME>` — bypass rule, force editor
- `-G, --group <NAME>` — bypass rule, force group
- `--dry-run` — print the resolved plan without executing
- `-v, --verbose` — `-v` = info, `-vv` = debug, `-vvv` = trace
Logging is also controllable via `RUST_LOG`.
## Roadmap
- **v0.1** *(this release)*: core dispatch, neovim + generic backends,
`check`, `completion`, default config, `$EDITOR` compatibility.
- **v0.2**: `list` / `kill` / `config edit|validate|show`, `open` / `send`,
neovim `remote + sync` via `nvim_buf_attach`.
- **v0.3+**: `script` editor kind, per-file arg placement, plugin hooks.
## Heritage
`edtr` is a Rust rewrite of [`hitori.vim`][hitori] (denops-based). The old
plugin had a slow cold start on Windows and was vim/neovim-only; `edtr` is
fast and editor-agnostic while preserving the core "one editor instance"
philosophy.
## License
[MIT](./LICENSE) — © 2026 yukimemi.
[tera]: https://keats.github.io/tera/docs/#built-ins
[hitori]: https://github.com/yukimemi/hitori.vim