mcfly

Print the mcfly integration code for the specified shell

$ mcfly init [bash|fish|zsh]

$ mcfly search --results [20] "[search_terms]"

$ mcfly add "[command]"

$ mcfly move "[path/to/old_directory]" "[path/to/new_directory]"

$ mcfly train

$ mcfly help [subcommand]

mcfly is typically used interactively as a key binding (e.g., Ctrl+R).
For non-interactive use: mcfly [OPTIONS] [--command <SEARCH_STRING>]

--fuzzy
    Enables or disables fuzzy matching for search queries.

--depth
    Searches history up to N entries deep, limiting the scope of the search.

--sort-mode
    Sets the sorting order for results. Modes include relevance (default), last_used, last_used_reverse, length, and length_reverse.

--filter-mode
    Changes the action mode. Modes include search (default for interactive search) and delete (to delete selected entries).

--command
    Runs mcfly in non-interactive mode, searching for the best match for the given STRING and printing it to standard output.

--history
    Specifies an alternative history file to use instead of the default shell history file.

--disable-up-arrow
    Prevents mcfly from binding the Up arrow key, useful if another binding or behavior is preferred.

--append-and-run
    In non-interactive mode, appends the chosen command to the history and immediately executes it. Requires --command.

--session-id
    Used internally by mcfly to manage history across multiple terminal sessions, helping to track context.

--help
    Displays the help message and exits.

--version
    Displays the version information and exits.

mcfly is an intelligent, instant shell history search tool designed to replace the default Ctrl+R functionality in Bash and Zsh. It learns from your usage patterns, considering factors like frequently used commands, working directories, and command exit status, to provide more relevant search results. Unlike simple string matching, mcfly employs a small neural network to rank suggestions, making your history navigation faster and more intuitive. It offers full-text search, navigable results, and options to filter or delete history entries, significantly enhancing command-line productivity.

Requires integration into shell's configuration (.bashrc, .zshrc) to function as a key binding.
May conflict with existing Ctrl+R or Up arrow keybindings if not configured carefully.
The learning model adapts over time, so initial results might not be perfectly optimized.

mcfly is typically installed via cargo (e.g., cargo install mcfly) or system package managers. For interactive use, it must be integrated into your shell's configuration file (e.g., .bashrc or .zshrc) by sourcing a setup script provided by the installation, which usually binds it to Ctrl+R.

The core innovation of mcfly is its use of a tiny neural network, trained on your actual shell history data. This allows it to learn patterns and suggest commands based on context, frequency, and recent usage, providing more intelligent suggestions than simple text matching. It considers factors like the current working directory and command exit status to refine its recommendations.

mcfly was created by cantino and first released in 2018. It emerged to address the limitations of traditional shell history search by incorporating machine learning, specifically a small neural network. Its development focused on being a fast, user-friendly, and highly effective replacement for the common Ctrl+R shell binding, quickly gaining popularity for improving command-line workflow efficiency and context-aware suggestions.

history(1), fzf(1), atuin(1)