bat - Better cat
cat
with syntax highlighting, line numbers, and Git integration.
Quick Start
Basic usage
# View file with syntax highlighting
bat README.md
Multiple files
bat file1.js file2.py
With line numbers (default)
bat script.sh
Without line numbers
bat -p script.sh
Viewing modes
# Plain mode (like cat)
bat -p file.txt
Show non-printable characters
bat -A file.txt
Squeeze blank lines
bat -s file.txt
Paging (auto for large files)
bat --paging=always file.txt
bat --paging=never file.txt
Syntax Highlighting
Language detection
# Auto-detect from extension
bat script.py
Force specific language
bat -l javascript config.txt
Show all languages
bat --list-languages
Themes
# List available themes
bat --list-themes
Use specific theme
bat --theme="Monokai Extended" file.py
Set default theme in config
~/.config/bat/config: --theme="Dracula"
Line Ranges
# Show specific lines
bat -r 10:20 file.txt
From line to end
bat -r 100: file.txt
Start to specific line
bat -r :50 file.txt
Multiple ranges
bat -r 1:10 -r 50:60 file.txt
Git Integration
# Show Git modifications (added/removed/modified lines)
bat --diff file.txt
Show decorations (Git + file header)
bat --decorations=always file.txt
Output Control
# Output raw (no styling)
bat --style=plain file.txt
Customize style
bat --style=numbers,changes file.txt
Available styles: auto, full, plain, changes, header, grid, numbers, snip
bat --style=header,grid,numbers file.txt
Common Use Cases
Quick file preview:
bat file.json
View logs with syntax highlighting:
bat error.log
Compare files visually:
bat --diff file1.txt
bat file2.txt
Preview before editing:
bat config.yaml && vim config.yaml
Cat replacement in pipes:
bat -p file.txt | grep "pattern"
View specific function:
bat -r 45:67 script.py # If function is on lines 45-67
Integration with other tools
As pager for man pages:
export MANPAGER="sh -c 'col -bx | bat -l man -p'"
man grep
With ripgrep:
rg "pattern" -l | xargs bat
With fzf:
fzf --preview 'bat --color=always --style=numbers {}'
With diff:
diff -u file1 file2 | bat -l diff
Configuration
Create
~/.config/bat/config
for defaults:
# Set theme
--theme="Dracula"
Show line numbers, Git modifications and file header, but no grid
--style="numbers,changes,header"
Use italic text on terminal
--italic-text=always
Add custom mapping
--map-syntax "*.conf:INI"
Performance Tips
- Use
-p
for plain mode when piping
- Use
--paging=never
when output is used programmatically
bat
caches parsed files for faster subsequent access
Tips
- Alias:
alias cat='bat -p'
for drop-in cat replacement
- Pager: Use as pager with
export PAGER="bat"
- On Debian/Ubuntu: Command may be
batcat
instead of bat
- Custom syntaxes: Add to
~/.config/bat/syntaxes/
- Performance: For huge files, use
bat --paging=never
or plain cat
Common flags
-p
/ --plain
: Plain mode (no line numbers/decorations)-n
/ --number
: Only show line numbers-A
/ --show-all
: Show non-printable characters-l
/ --language
: Set language for syntax highlighting-r
/ --line-range
: Only show specific line range(s)
Documentation
GitHub: https://github.com/sharkdp/bat
Man page:
man bat
Customization:
https://github.com/sharkdp/bat#customization