tref – Terminal Reference Manager (Python Edition)
tref is a cutting-edge, Python-powered command-line utility crafted to streamline how developers manage and access their personal cheat sheets. By combining the simplicity of a CLI with powerful semantic search and interactive querying, tref offers instant access to custom or default references, configuration snippets, usage examples, and more — all stored locally and privately on your machine.
Whether you’re a developer juggling multiple tools or a sysadmin managing server commands, tref brings your knowledge base right into your terminal with speed and intelligence.
🚀 Project Overview
tref reimagines cheat sheet management by moving beyond simple keyword matching and flat files. Leveraging modern embedding-based semantic search, it understands the meaning behind your queries, so you find relevant commands and snippets even if you don’t remember the exact syntax or keywords.
By offering a fully interactive experience, including editing, adding, and deleting cheat sheets, tref becomes more than a reference: it’s your personal knowledge assistant in the terminal.
🔧 Project Details
- Languages & Technologies: Python, FAISS/Annoy (for embeddings), CLI Development, Text Processing
- Key Skills: Python scripting, semantic embeddings, terminal UX design
- Repository: GitHub - tref
- Live Demo: t-ref.pages.dev
✨ Core Features
- 📖 Read (
--read TOOL): Instantly view cheat sheets tailored for your favorite tools or commands, making daily workflows smoother. - 📝 Edit (
--edit TOOL): Modify cheat sheets directly from your terminal using your preferred editor, allowing quick updates and customization. - 🆕 Add (
--add TOOL): Easily create new cheat sheets from scratch to keep your knowledge base current and comprehensive. - ❌ Delete (
--delete TOOL): Remove outdated or irrelevant cheat sheets, keeping your reference library clean and relevant. - 🔍 Semantic Search (
--search TOOL QUERY): Find the right commands and snippets by meaning rather than exact keyword matches, speeding up discovery. - 💬 Interactive Search (
--interactive): Engage in a conversational query mode that helps you refine searches and get precise results intuitively. - 🧠 Update Embeddings (
--update-embeddings): Rebuild the semantic index after adding or editing cheat sheets to ensure search accuracy. - 🗂 List (
--list): Display all your available cheat sheets at a glance for quick navigation.
Why Choose tref?
Modern developer workflows demand speed, accuracy, and personalization. Traditional cheat sheets and static docs often fall short because they rely on exact keyword matching and don’t evolve with your usage.
tref bridges this gap by combining:
- Local privacy and control: Your data stays on your device — no cloud upload needed.
- Semantic understanding: Finds what you mean, not just what you type.
- Interactive querying: Conversational search reduces frustration and guesswork.
- Terminal-first design: Lightweight, keyboard-friendly, and integrates seamlessly into shell workflows.
With tref, your terminal becomes a powerful knowledge hub, enabling faster troubleshooting, onboarding, and daily productivity boosts.
Technical Highlights
- Utilizes pre-trained language models to generate vector embeddings for cheat sheet content.
- Employs approximate nearest neighbor (ANN) search algorithms like FAISS or Annoy for lightning-fast semantic lookups.
- Fully configurable, supporting user-defined folders, custom embedding models, and editor preferences.
- Built with extensibility in mind — new features like sharing cheat sheets, cloud sync, and advanced analytics are planned.
Future Roadmap
- 🛠 Multi-language support: Extend beyond CLI commands to docs, API references, and code snippets.
- 🌐 Cloud sync & collaboration: Share cheat sheets securely with teams.
- 📈 Usage analytics: Learn which commands are most helpful and get proactive suggestions.
- 🤖 AI-powered assistance: Integrate with AI agents to generate cheat sheets from your queries dynamically.
“tref transforms your terminal into a personalized knowledge command center — fast, intuitive, and always at your fingertips.”
Getting Started
Clone the repository and install dependencies with:
git clone https://github.com/pavandhadge/tref.git
cd tref
pip install -r requirements.txtStart exploring cheat sheets immediately with commands like:
tref --read git
tref --search docker container networking
tref --interactiveExplore more and contribute: GitHub - tref
Try the live demo: t-ref.pages.dev