Bat

A lightweight, multi-purpose command-line utility for logging, searching, and managing text entries. All data stays local in plain-text log files — no cloud, no dependencies.

Commands

Data Storage

All data is stored in ~/.local/share/bat/ by default:

• data.log — Main log file (one entry per line, date-prefixed via add)
• history.log — Command history with timestamps (auto-maintained by every command)
• config.json — Configuration file path (shown by bat config)

Set the BAT_DIR environment variable to change the storage location. Alternatively, XDG_DATA_HOME is respected if BAT_DIR is not set.

Requirements

• Bash 4+ (uses local variables, set -euo pipefail)
• Standard Unix utilities (grep, date, wc, cat)
• No external dependencies or API keys required

When to Use

1. Quick note-taking from the terminal — Use bat add to jot down thoughts, meeting notes, or TODO items without leaving the shell.
2. Maintaining a running activity log — Every add creates a dated entry, building a chronological record of activities over time.
3. Searching past entries by keyword — Use bat search \x3Cterm> to find specific entries with case-insensitive matching.
4. Exporting and backing up notes — Use bat export > backup.txt to dump all entries for backup, sharing, or migration.
5. General-purpose CLI data management — Use run, init, config, and status as building blocks for scripted workflows and automation pipelines.

Examples

# Add a note about a meeting
bat add "Met with client about Q2 targets"

# Add another entry
bat add "Sent follow-up email to vendor"

# List all logged entries
bat list

# Search for entries mentioning "client"
bat search "client"

# Export log to a backup file
bat export > ~/bat-backup.txt

# Check version and data directory
bat info

# Initialize (or verify) the data directory
bat init

# Check operational status
bat status

# Show config file path
bat config

Output

All commands print results to stdout and log actions to history.log. The add command confirms each save with the added text. The list and export commands output raw log content suitable for piping and redirection.

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