# Quick Start Guide
Get up and running with N7 Knowledge Base in minutes!
## Installation
### Option 1: From Source (Recommended for Development)
```bash
# 1. Install Rust (if not already installed)
# 2. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/x8code/n7.git
cd n7
# 3. Build and run
cargo run --release
```
### Option 2: Build Release Binary
```bash
# Build optimized binary
cargo build --release
# Run the binary
./target/release/n7
```
## First Launch
When you launch N7, you'll see:
1. **Left sidebar** - Category navigation (Races, Places, Ships, Characters)
2. **Center panel** - List of entries in the current category
3. **Bottom bar** - Keyboard shortcuts and help
## Basic Navigation
### Moving Around
- **↑/↓** or **j/k** - Navigate up/down in lists
- **←/→** or **h/l** - Switch categories
- **Tab** - Next category
- **Enter** - View details / Return to list
### Search
1. Press **/** to activate search
2. Type your query
3. Press **Enter** to apply or **Esc** to cancel
4. Results filter in real-time
### Getting Help
- Press **?** to see all keyboard shortcuts
- Press **?** or **Esc** again to close help
## Example Workflow
### Exploring Races
1. Launch the application
2. Use **↑/↓** to browse through the races
3. Press **Enter** on "Asari" to view detailed information
4. Read about their biology, culture, and government
5. Press **Enter** or **Esc** to return to the list
### Finding a Character
1. Press **→** or **Tab** three times to reach the Characters category
2. Press **/** to search
3. Type "garrus"
4. Press **Enter**
5. Select Garrus Vakarian and press **Enter** to view details
### Browsing Ships
1. Navigate to the Ships category with **→**
2. Browse through iconic vessels like the Normandy
3. View specifications, armament, and history
## Tips & Tricks
- **Fast Category Switching**: Use **Tab** to cycle through categories quickly
- **Quick Exit**: Press **q** or **Esc** from the main view to quit
- **Search Everything**: Search works across all entries in the current category
- **Vim Users**: Use **h/j/k/l** for navigation just like in Vim
- **Case Insensitive**: Search is case-insensitive for convenience
## Troubleshooting
### Colors Look Wrong
Make sure your terminal supports 256 colors. Most modern terminals do.
### App Won't Start
1. Check that you're in the project directory
2. Ensure `data/` directory exists with JSON files
3. Run `cargo check` to verify compilation
### Terminal Size Issues
The app works best with terminals at least 80 characters wide and 24 lines tall.
## Next Steps
- Read the [full README](README.md) for detailed information
- Check [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) to add content
- Explore all the lore entries!
## Keyboard Reference Card
```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ N7 KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Navigation │
│ ↑/k Move up │
│ ↓/j Move down │
│ ←/h Previous category │
│ →/l Next category │
│ Tab Next category │
│ Enter View details / Back to list │
│ │
│ Search │
│ / Start search │
│ Esc Cancel search │
│ Enter Apply search │
│ │
│ General │
│ ? Help │
│ q / Esc Quit │
│ Ctrl+C Force quit │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```
Enjoy exploring the Mass Effect universe! 🚀