Hyper: A Terminal That's Worth a Look

Like many developers, I spend a lot of time using a terminal.

As such, on occasion I look for new tools that could improve some aspect of my work. I'm a big fan of iTerm2, but I also use other platforms quite often where iTerm2 is not an option. To add some more consistency between them, I started looking for better cross platform tools, and that's when I discovered Hyper.

Hyper is an open-source, cross-platform terminal emulator that runs on Electron. It can be easily customized using HTML/CSS/JS and it is integrates with npm to install community built packages. It is awesome. Speaking of awesome, Awesome Hyper is a curated list of some nice to have Hyper plugins. You can also find plugins by running npm search hyper. Can't find a plugin that fits your needs? Try and build one then! The Hyper homepage has some details on how to start building your own plugins.

Here are some of plugins that I personally use:

hyper-statusline	Adds directory and git info to the bottom of the window
hypercwd	New tabs are opened in the same directory you are currently in
hyper-alt-click	Allows you to place your cursor where you click!
hyperlinks	Automatically formats URLs into hyperlinks
hyperterm-tabs	Adds shortcut keys to reorder your tabs!
hyperterm-alternatescroll	Allows you to use the scroll wheel of your mouse while using programs such as vim, more, or git log
hyper-blink	Makes the cursor blink
hyper-statusline	Adds directory and git info to the bottom of the window.
space-pull	Plays a text animation when you git pull!
gitrocket	Plays a animation when you git push!
hyper-solarized-dark	This is a dark theme modeled after solarized

 

As an honorable mention, the hyperpower plugin is pretty neat, though I wouldn't want to use it all day.

Hyper is still fairly new and still has a few areas where I would like to see improvement, but I really like the direction they are heading and I can't wait to see where they will go.