gh-here

A fast, local GitHub-style file browser for exploring codebases. Browse directories with a file tree, view files with syntax highlighting, and explore git diffs - all in your browser.

Installation

npx gh-here

Or install globally:

npm install -g gh-here

Usage

gh-here                           # Start server on available port
gh-here --open                    # Start and open browser (default)
gh-here --port=8080               # Use specific port
gh-here --open --browser=safari   # Open in Safari

Features

Core

• File Tree Sidebar - Navigate your repository structure with an interactive file tree
• Context-Aware Search - Global repository search or filter the file tree
• Client-Side Navigation - Fast page transitions without full reloads
• Syntax Highlighting - Support for 30+ languages via highlight.js
• Git Integration - Status indicators and diff viewer with line numbers

UI/UX

• Gitignore Toggle - Show/hide gitignored files (persists in localStorage)
• Dark/Light Themes - Toggle between themes
• README Preview - Automatic markdown rendering
• Language Statistics - See breakdown of languages in your repo
• File Operations - Copy file paths, download files, view raw content

Keyboard Shortcuts

| Key | Action | |-----|--------| | Cmd/Ctrl + K | Focus search | | Escape | Close search/modals |

How It Works

gh-here runs a local Express server that serves a read-only view of your codebase. It:

1. Respects your .gitignore (optional toggle to show ignored files)
2. Shows git status and diffs for modified files
3. Provides a familiar GitHub-like interface
4. Works entirely offline - no data leaves your machine

Development

npm install
npm start

Running Tests (Optional)

Tests use Playwright for smoke testing but are optional for development:

# First time only - install Chromium for testing (~210MB)
npx playwright install chromium

# Run tests
npm test

Note: End users don't need Playwright - it's only installed when you clone the repo and run npm install (devDependency).

Dependencies

• express - Web server
• highlight.js - Syntax highlighting
• marked - Markdown rendering
• @primer/octicons - GitHub icons

License

MIT