How do I set up sncli to sync with my Simplenote account?

You need to create a .snclirc config file with your username and password, or use SN_USERNAME and SN_PASSWORD environment variables, as the README explains. Be sure to protect these files due to the lack of OAuth.

Can I use Vim as my editor with sncli?

Yes, sncli supports any text editor via the cfg_editor configuration, allowing you to specify Vim with options like line numbers. The README provides examples such as 'nvim {fname} +{line}'.

What's the difference between sncli and nvpy?

Both are terminal-based Simplenote clients, but sncli offers a more feature-rich console GUI with vi-like keybinds and scriptable CLI, while nvpy focuses on a simpler interface. sncli also borrows code from nvpy's notes_db module.

How to search notes with regex in sncli?

In the console GUI or CLI, use the -r flag or prefix your search with '(regex)' followed by the pattern, optionally adding flags like 'i' for case-insensitive searches, as detailed in the searching section.

Does sncli support exporting notes to formats other than JSON?

No, sncli only exports notes in raw JSON format via the export command. For other formats, you'd need to process the JSON output externally with scripts or tools.

How to backup all my notes in sncli?

You can use the 'sncli export' command to dump all notes as JSON, or simply backup the local cache directory specified by cfg_db_path, which the README mentions is easier for quick backups.

Open-Awesome

sncli

MITPython0.4.2

A Python command-line interface and console GUI for managing Simplenote notes with offline support and vi-like keybinds.

GitHub

431 stars40 forks0 contributors

What is sncli?

sncli is a Python-based command-line interface and console GUI for Simplenote. It allows users to access, create, edit, and sync their Simplenote notes directly from the terminal, with full offline support and automatic background synchronization.

Target Audience

Developers, sysadmins, and power users who prefer terminal-based workflows and want to manage Simplenote notes efficiently with keyboard-driven controls and scripting capabilities.

Value Proposition

It provides a feature-rich, offline-capable terminal interface for Simplenote with vi-like keybinds, customizable UI, and a scriptable CLI, offering greater control and productivity compared to web or desktop clients.

Overview

Simplenote CLI

Use Cases

Best For

Managing Simplenote notes entirely from the command line
Scripting note creation, editing, and tagging for automation
Using Simplenote offline with local caching and sync
Integrating note-taking into terminal-based workflows
Customizing note listing and search with regex or Google-style patterns
Editing notes with preferred text editors like Vim or Emacs

Not Ideal For

Users who prefer graphical, mouse-driven interfaces for note-taking
Developers working exclusively on native Windows without WSL or Cygwin
Teams needing built-in collaborative editing or real-time sharing features
Projects requiring rich media embedding or advanced formatting beyond markdown

Pros & Cons

Pros

Offline-First Syncing

Notes are cached locally and sync automatically in the background, enabling full offline access and seamless two-way synchronization as per the README.

Highly Customizable Interface

The console GUI supports configurable note listing formats, vi-like keybinds, and color themes, allowing users to tailor the experience to their workflow.

Scriptable Automation

CLI commands for all note operations enable automation via shell scripts, ideal for batch editing, tagging, or exporting notes.

Editor Integration

Edit notes with any text editor, supporting line number passing and custom temporary directories, integrating seamlessly with tools like Vim or Emacs.

Cons

Manual Authentication Setup

Requires storing Simplenote credentials in a config file or environment variables, lacking OAuth support, which poses security risks if not properly secured.

Limited Windows Support

Native Windows UI is partially broken, relying on workarounds like WSL or Cygwin, making it unsuitable for users on pure Windows environments.

Temp File Clutter

Temporary files created during editing are not automatically cleaned up, potentially leading to disk clutter unless manually managed, as noted in the README.

Basic Color Support

Restricted to 16 colors due to the Urwid dependency, limiting theme customization on modern terminals that support wider color ranges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Projects

taskbook

Tasks, boards & notes for the command-line habitat

Stars9,337

Forks396

Last commit8 months ago

CLI and local web plain text note‑taking, bookmarking, and archiving with linking, tagging, filtering, search, Git versioning & syncing, Pandoc conversion, + more, in a single portable script.

Stars8,314

Forks251

Last commit17 days ago

Dnote

A simple command line notebook

Stars3,047

Forks123

Last commit3 hours ago

notesmd-cli

Obsidian CLI (Community) - Interact with Obsidian in the terminal!

Stars1,559

Forks70

Last commit4 days ago

Community-curated · Updated weekly · 100% open source

Found a gem we're missing?

Open-Awesome is built by the community, for the community. Submit a project, suggest an awesome list, or help improve the catalog on GitHub.

Submit a project Star on GitHub