| name | screenshot |
| description | Capture PNG screenshots of dex TUI commands for debugging UI layout issues. Use when iterating on CLI interface code or debugging rendering problems. |
Screenshot Tool
Capture screenshots of dex TUI commands using vhs.
Instructions
Run the screenshot tool with a dex command:
./tools/screenshot.sh "<command>" [options]Read the output file to view the captured TUI:
# Default output is /tmp/dex-screenshot.pngUse the Read tool on the PNG file to see the rendered UI.
Options
-o, --output <path>- Output PNG path (default: /tmp/dex-screenshot.png)-k, --keys <keys>- Key sequence to send after initial load (comma-separated)-w, --wait <seconds>- Initial wait time in seconds (default: 10)--no-open- Don't open the screenshot after capture
Key Sequence
Use -k to navigate through screens. Supported keys:
enter- Press Enter (navigate into views)esc- Press Escape (go back)j,k- Navigate up/downg,G- Go to top/bottom- Any single character
Examples
# Screenshot list view (search results)
./tools/screenshot.sh "search api"
# Screenshot matches view (press Enter to expand first result)
./tools/screenshot.sh "search api" -k enter
# Screenshot conversation view (Enter twice)
./tools/screenshot.sh "search api" -k enter,enter
# Screenshot with navigation (go to matches, scroll down twice)
./tools/screenshot.sh "search api" -k enter,j,j
# Custom output path
./tools/screenshot.sh "search api" -o /tmp/api-search.png -k enter
# Don't auto-open (useful for automation)
./tools/screenshot.sh "list" --no-open
View Navigation
The search command has 4 views:
- List view - Initial search results (no keys needed)
- Matches view - All matches in a conversation (
-k enter) - Conversation view - Full conversation with messages (
-k enter,enter) - Message view - Full message content (
-k enter,enter,enter)
Workflow
- Make changes to TUI code in
src/cli/commands/ - Run screenshot tool to capture the result
- Read the PNG to view the rendered UI
- Iterate based on what you see
Requirements
Requires vhs: brew install vhs