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So there is that awesome tool for working with JSON data called jq.

And there is that awesome linux file manager called mc.

One day (today) I came around an idea to integrate these two, so I could easily preview JSON files in a pretty/formatted way using F3 keyboard shortcut when in Midnight Commander.

I opened MC extension file using Command → Edit extension file menu actions and then added following to such opened configuration file:

# json
regex/\.json$
   View=%view{ascii} jq < %f

I thought it is straightforward, but unexpectedly it does not work: trying to view the JSON (F3) results in error popup with contents of jq's help page (the same as when you type jq by itself), so starting with: "jq - commandline JSON processr [version 1.5]..."

Can anybody tell me why this configuration is incorrect?

roomcays
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3 Answers3

7

Two minutes after I submitted my question I've been revealed.

I thought that maybe jq does not produce standard output... It led me to this question: How to use jq in a shell pipeline? and so I have modified the extension file to look like:

# json
regex/\.json$
    View=%view{ascii} jq '.' < %f

And now it works as expected, piping result of jq to the internal mc viewer.

Thank you, me ;)

roomcays
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You don't have to use redirection < here, you could use just a plain filename %f:

# json
regex/\.json$
    View=%view{ascii} jq '.' %f

and as you mentioned you have to use a simple filter: .

DIG mbl
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For anyone wondering, why this no longer works. In version 4.8.29, MC switched from mc.ext to the new mc.ext.ini ini file, which has slightly different syntax. The new entry should look like this

[JSON]
Regex=\.json$
View=%view{ascii} jq '.' < %f

The [JSON] line is necessary.

Jan Francu
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