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<h1 align="center">mq</h1>
[](https://github.com/harehare/mq/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
[](https://codecov.io/gh/harehare/mq)
[](https://codspeed.io/harehare/mq)
[](https://github.com/harehare/mq/actions/workflows/audit.yml)
[](https://github.com/harehare/mq/releases)
[](https://crates.io/crates/mq-lang)
[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/mq-web)
mq is a command-line tool that processes Markdown using a syntax similar to jq.
It's written in Rust, allowing you to easily slice, filter, map, and transform structured data.

> [!IMPORTANT]
> This project is under active development.
## Why mq?
mq makes working with Markdown files as easy as jq makes working with JSON. It's especially useful for:
- **LLM Workflows**: Efficiently manipulate and process Markdown used in LLM prompts and outputs
- **LLM Input Generation**: Generate structured Markdown content optimized for LLM consumption, since Markdown serves as the primary input format for most language models
- **Documentation Management**: Extract, transform, and organize content across multiple documentation files
- **Content Analysis**: Quickly extract specific sections or patterns from Markdown documents
- **Batch Processing**: Apply consistent transformations across multiple Markdown files
Since LLM inputs are primarily in Markdown format, mq provides efficient tools for generating and processing the structured Markdown content that LLMs require.
## Features
- **Slice and Filter**: Extract specific parts of your Markdown documents with ease.
- **Map and Transform**: Apply transformations to your Markdown content.
- **Command-line Interface**: Simple and intuitive CLI for quick operations.
- **Extensibility**: Easily extendable with custom functions.
- **Built-in support**: Filter and transform content with many built-in functions and selectors.
- **REPL Support**: Interactive command-line REPL for testing and experimenting.
- **IDE Support**: VSCode Extension and Language Server **Protocol** (LSP) support for custom function development.
- **Debugger**: Includes an experimental debugger (`mq-dbg`) for inspecting and stepping through mq queries interactively.
- **External Subcommands**: Extend mq with custom subcommands by placing executable files starting with `mq-` in `~/.mq/bin/`.
## Installation
### Quick Install
```bash
The installer will:
- Download the latest mq binary for your platform
- Install it to `~/.mq/bin/`
- Update your shell profile to add mq to your PATH
### Cargo
```sh
# Install from crates.io
cargo install mq-run
# Install from Github
cargo install --git https://github.com/harehare/mq.git mq-run --tag v0.5.21
# Latest Development Version
cargo install --git https://github.com/harehare/mq.git mq-run --bin mq
# Install the debugger
cargo install --git https://github.com/harehare/mq.git mq-run --bin mq-dbg --features="debugger"
# Install using binstall
cargo binstall mq-run@0.5.21
```
### Binaries
You can download pre-built binaries from the [GitHub releases page](https://github.com/harehare/mq/releases):
```sh
# macOS (Apple Silicon)
curl -L https://github.com/harehare/mq/releases/download/v0.5.21/mq-aarch64-apple-darwin -o /usr/local/bin/mq && chmod +x /usr/local/bin/mq
# Linux x86_64
curl -L https://github.com/harehare/mq/releases/download/v0.5.21/mq-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu -o /usr/local/bin/mq && chmod +x /usr/local/bin/mq
# Linux arm64
curl -L https://github.com/harehare/mq/releases/download/v0.5.21/mq-aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu -o /usr/local/bin/mq && chmod +x /usr/local/bin/mq
# Windows (PowerShell)
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://github.com/harehare/mq/releases/download/v0.5.21/mq-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.exe -OutFile "$env:USERPROFILE\bin\mq.exe"
```
### Homebrew
```sh
# Using Homebrew (macOS and Linux)
brew install mq
```
### Docker
```sh
$ docker run --rm ghcr.io/harehare/mq:0.5.21
```
### mq-lsp (Language Server)
The mq Language Server provides IDE features like completion, hover, and diagnostics for mq query files.
#### Quick Install
```bash
curl -sSL https://mqlang.org/install_lsp.sh | bash
```
#### Cargo
```sh
# Install from crates.io
cargo install mq-lsp
# Install from Github
cargo install --git https://github.com/harehare/mq.git mq-lsp --tag v0.5.21
# Latest Development Version
cargo install --git https://github.com/harehare/mq.git mq-lsp
# Install using binstall
cargo binstall mq-lsp@0.5.21
```
#### Binaries
You can download pre-built binaries from the [GitHub releases page](https://github.com/harehare/mq/releases):
```sh
# macOS (Apple Silicon)
curl -L https://github.com/harehare/mq/releases/download/v0.5.21/mq-lsp-aarch64-apple-darwin -o /usr/local/bin/mq-lsp && chmod +x /usr/local/bin/mq-lsp
# Linux x86_64
curl -L https://github.com/harehare/mq/releases/download/v0.5.21/mq-lsp-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu -o /usr/local/bin/mq-lsp && chmod +x /usr/local/bin/mq-lsp
# Linux arm64
curl -L https://github.com/harehare/mq/releases/download/v0.5.21/mq-lsp-aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu -o /usr/local/bin/mq-lsp && chmod +x /usr/local/bin/mq-lsp
# Windows (PowerShell)
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://github.com/harehare/mq/releases/download/v0.5.21/mq-lsp-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.exe -OutFile "$env:USERPROFILE\bin\mq-lsp.exe"
```
### Visual Studio Code Extension
You can install the VSCode extension from the [Visual Studio Marketplace](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=harehare.vscode-mq).
### Neovim
You can install the Neovim plugin by following the instructions in the [mq.nvim README](https://github.com/harehare/mq/blob/main/editors/neovim/README.md).
### Zed
You can install the Zed extension by following the instructions in the [zed-mq README](https://github.com/harehare/mq/blob/main/editors/zed/README.md).
### GitHub Actions
You can use mq in your GitHub Actions workflows with the [Setup mq](https://github.com/marketplace/actions/setup-mq) action:
```yaml
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v6
- uses: harehare/setup-mq@v1
- run: mq '.code' README.md
```
## Language Bindings
Language bindings are available for the following programming languages:
- [mq_elixir](https://github.com/harehare/mq_elixir)
- [mq-python](https://github.com/harehare/mq-python)
- [mq-ruby](https://github.com/harehare/mq-ruby)
- [mq-java](https://github.com/harehare/mq-java)
- [mq-go](https://github.com/harehare/mq-go)
## Usage
For more detailed usage and examples, refer to the [documentation](https://mqlang.org/book/).
For a comprehensive collection of practical examples, see the [Example Guide](https://mqlang.org/book/start/example/).
### Basic usage
<details>
<summary>Complete list of options (click to show)</summary>
```sh
Usage: mq [OPTIONS] [QUERY OR FILE] [FILES]... [COMMAND]
Commands:
repl Start a REPL session for interactive query execution
fmt Format mq files based on specified formatting options
help Print this message or the help of the given subcommand(s)
Arguments:
[QUERY OR FILE]
[FILES]...
Options:
-A, --aggregate
Aggregate all input files/content into a single array
-f, --from-file
load filter from the file
-I, --input-format <INPUT_FORMAT>
Set input format [possible values: markdown, mdx, html, text, null, raw]
-L, --directory <MODULE_DIRECTORIES>
Search modules from the directory
-M, --module-names <MODULE_NAMES>
Load additional modules from specified files
--args <NAME> <VALUE>
Sets string that can be referenced at runtime
--rawfile <NAME> <FILE>
Sets file contents that can be referenced at runtime
--stream
Enable streaming mode for processing large files line by line
-F, --output-format <OUTPUT_FORMAT>
Set output format [default: markdown] [possible values: markdown, html, text, json, none]
-U, --update
Update the input markdown (aliases: -i, --in-place, --inplace)
--unbuffered
Unbuffered output
--list-style <LIST_STYLE>
Set the list style for markdown output [default: dash] [possible values: dash, plus, star]
--link-title-style <LINK_TITLE_STYLE>
Set the link title surround style for markdown output [default: double] [possible values: double, single, paren]
--link-url-style <LINK_URL_STYLE>
Set the link URL surround style for markdown links [default: none] [possible values: none, angle]
-S, --separator <QUERY>
Specify a query to insert between files as a separator
-o, --output <FILE>
Output to the specified file
-C, --color-output
Colorize markdown output
--list
List all available subcommands (built-in and external)
-P <PARALLEL_THRESHOLD>
Number of files to process before switching to parallel processing [default: 10]
-h, --help
Print help
-V, --version
Print version
# Examples:
## To filter markdown nodes:
mq 'query' file.md
## To read query from file:
mq -f 'file' file.md
## To start a REPL session:
mq repl
## To format mq file:
mq fmt --check file.mq
```
</details>
Here's a basic example of how to use `mq`:
```sh
# Extract all headings from a document
mq '.h' README.md
# Extract code blocks containing "name"
# Extract code values from code blocks
mq -A 'pluck(.code.value)' example.md
# Extract language names from code blocks
mq '.code.lang' documentation.md
# Extract URLs from all links
mq '.link.url' README.md
# Filter table cells containing "name"
# Select lists or headers containing "name"
# Exclude JavaScript code blocks
# Convert CSV to markdown table
### Advanced Usage
You can chain multiple operations to perform complex transformations:
```sh
# Generate a table of contents from headings
mq -S 's"\n${__FILE__}\n"' 'identity()' docs/books/**/**.md
# Extract all code blocks from an HTML file
mq '.code' example.html
# Convert HTML to Markdown and filter headers
# Extract specific cell from a Markdown table
# Extract frontmatter metadata from markdown files:
### Using with markitdown
You can combine `mq` with [markitdown](https://github.com/microsoft/markitdown) for even more powerful Markdown processing workflows:
```sh
# Extract code blocks from markdown
markitdown test.xlsx | mq '.[][]'
```
## External Subcommands
You can extend `mq` with custom subcommands by placing executable files starting with `mq-` in `~/.mq/bin/` or anywhere in your `PATH`.
This makes it easy to add your own tools and workflows to `mq` without modifying the core binary.
### External Tools
The following external tools are available to extend mq's functionality:
- [mq-check](https://github.com/harehare/mq/blob/main/crates/mq-check/README.md) - A syntax and semantic checker for mq files
- [mq-conv](https://github.com/harehare/mq-conv) - A CLI tool for converting various file formats to Markdown
- [mq-crawler](https://github.com/harehare/mq/blob/main/crates/mq-crawler/README.md) - A web crawler that extracts structured data from websites and outputs it in Markdown format
- [mq-docs](https://github.com/harehare/mq-docs) - A documentation generator for mq functions, macros, and selectors
- [mq-edit](https://github.com/harehare/mq-edit) - A terminal-based Markdown and code editor with WYSIWYG rendering and LSP support
- [mq-lsp](https://github.com/harehare/mq/tree/main/crates/mq-lsp/README.md) - Language Server Protocol (LSP) implementation for mq query files, providing IDE features like completion, hover, and diagnostics
- [mq-mcp](https://github.com/harehare/mq-mcp) - Model Context Protocol (MCP) server implementation for AI assistants
- [mq-open](https://github.com/harehare/mq-open) - Graphical previewer for mq
- [mq-task](https://github.com/harehare/mq-task) - Task runner using mq for Markdown-based task definitions
- [mq-tui](https://github.com/harehare/mq-tui) - Terminal User Interface (TUI) for interactive mq query
- [mq-update](https://github.com/harehare/mq-update) - Update mq binary to the latest version
- [mq-view](https://github.com/harehare/mq-view) - viewer for Markdown content
## Support
- 🐛 [Report bugs](https://github.com/harehare/mq/issues)
- 💡 [Request features](https://github.com/harehare/mq/issues)
- ⭐ [Star the project](https://github.com/harehare/mq) if you find it useful!
## License
This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.