rfig: IDE-style terminal autocomplete for zsh, Bash, and Fish

tamia — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 09:51:35 +0000

rfig: IDE-style terminal autocomplete for zsh, Bash, and Fish\n\nI built rfig, an open-source terminal autocomplete tool written in Rust. It brings an IDE-style completion menu directly into the shell while keeping the current shell responsible for executing commands.\n\n\n\n## What it does\n\n- Shows completion candidates while typing, without requiring Tab.\n- Continues through nested subcommands, options, arguments, paths, and dynamic values.\n- Reads the shell completion definitions already available on the machine.\n- Uses command help output as a fallback when a registered definition is unavailable.\n- Reads dynamic context such as Git branches, Brew services, and npm scripts.\n- Provides local history-based suggestions as inline gray text.\n- Learns from selections and executions to rank commonly used candidates higher.\n\nFor example, inside a Git repository the completion flow can progress from g to gi, git, checkout, and then a branch that actually exists in the current repository. The same interaction works for brew services and npm run.\n\n## Installation\n\nOn macOS or Linux:\n\n~sh\nbrew tap tamia6/tap\nbrew install rfig\nrfig setup\n~\n\nThe current release supports zsh, Bash 4.4+, and Fish 3.6+. Completion data, history suggestions, and usage records remain local to the machine.\n\n- Repository: https://github.com/tamia6/rfig\n- Website: https://tamia6.github.io/rfig/\n\nI’m interested in feedback on shell integration, completion-source behavior, Rust architecture, and terminal rendering.

Building rfig: a Rust terminal autocomplete and open-source Fig alternative

tamia — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 05:41:27 +0000

I built rfig because I wanted IDE-style completion in the terminal without replacing the shell that actually runs my commands.

rfig is an independent, open-source terminal autocomplete project inspired by Fig. It currently supports zsh, Bash 4.4+, and Fish 3.6+ on macOS and Linux.

What it does

Shows a completion menu as you type, with nested subcommands and dynamic arguments when the installed completion source provides them.
Adds directory-scoped, history-based autosuggestions as inline gray text. The suggestion stays separate from the menu, and rfig can replace a separate zsh-autosuggestions-style plugin.
Tracks candidate usage locally to rank frequently selected options.

Where suggestions come from

There is no universal static database of every CLI. rfig uses completion definitions and scripts available in the current shell, recognizes some command-provided generators and Cobra completion, and can cache help output for commands without a usable definition. After setup, it scans PATH and enriches eligible commands in the background with sandboxed help probes. Dynamic completion still depends on the installed definition, so coverage and accuracy vary by command.

Try it

brew install tamia6/tap/rfig
rfig setup

Then open a new shell and start typing. The README and animated demo cover the keys, shell setup, and current limitations.

This is a community-built Fig alternative, not affiliated with Fig. I would especially appreciate feedback on completion quality, shell integration, and what feels missing for daily terminal use.

Disclosure: I built rfig; this post was prepared with AI writing assistance.

DEV Community: tamia

rfig: IDE-style terminal autocomplete for zsh, Bash, and Fish

Building rfig: a Rust terminal autocomplete and open-source Fig alternative

What it does

Where suggestions come from

Try it