bat

bat — A Better cat

bat prints files with syntax highlighting, line numbers, and (in a git repo) per-line change markers. For agent use the critical rule is never let it open a pager — always pass -pp or --paging=never, or the call will hang waiting for input.

Agent-safe invocation

bat -pp <file>                      # plain: no pager, no decorations — closest to cat
bat --paging=never <file>           # keep decorations (line numbers, headers), no pager

Use -pp when piping or when you only need the text; use --paging=never -n when you want line numbers to cite path:line locations.

Common flags

Flag	Effect
-p, --plain	No line numbers / headers / grid (repeat as -pp to also disable paging)
--paging=never	Never invoke the pager (essential non-interactively)
-n, --number	Show line numbers only
-r, --line-range <a:b>	Print only lines a–b (e.g. -r 40:80)
-H, --highlight-line <n>	Emphasise a specific line
-l, --language <lang>	Force a language for highlighting (e.g. -l json)
-A, --show-all	Reveal non-printable characters
--diff	Show only changed lines vs git

Recipes

Read a bounded slice for a precise citation:

bat --paging=never -n -r 120:160 src/Service.cs

Highlight a match in context (pair with rg line numbers):

bat --paging=never -H 142 -r 130:155 src/Service.cs

Use as an fzf preview window (/rg-fzf-dotnet):

rg --files -g '*.cs' | fzf --preview 'bat --color=always --paging=never -n {}'

Notes

• bat respects .gitignore only for directory walks; for explicit file args it always prints.
• Prefer bat over Read when you specifically want highlighting or a tight line range for a snippet; prefer the Read tool when you simply need the file content into context.
• On Windows the binary is bat; if a bat.exe name clash occurs in Git Bash, call it with the full path or use --paging=never explicitly.