TUI Mode

TUI (Textual User Interface) Mode provides a modern, visually rich terminal interface for AI pair programming.

Activation

Command line:

aider-ce ... --tui

### OR!

cecli ... --tui

Configuration

TUI Mode can be configured directly in the relevant config.json file or with JSON in the command line arguments:

Minimal Configuration 

tui: true

Complete Configuration Example

Complete configuration example in YAML configuration file (.aider.conf.yml or ~/.aider.conf.yml). The base theme is pretty nice but if you want different colors and key bindings, do you thing:

tui: true
tui-config:
  colors:
    primary: "#00ff5f"
    secondary: "#888888"
    accent: "#00ff87"
    foreground: "#ffffff"
    background: "#1e1e1e"
    success: "#00aa00"
    warning: "#ffd700"
    error: "#ff3333"
    surface: "transparent"
    panel: "transparent"
    input-cursor-foreground: "#00ff87"
  other:
    dark: true
    input-cursor-text-style: "underline"
  key_bindings:
    newline: "enter"
    submit: "shift+enter"
    completion: "tab"
    stop: "escape"
    cycle_forward: "tab"
    cycle_backward: "shift+tab"
    focus: "ctrl+f"
    cancel: "ctrl+c"
    clear: "ctrl+l"
    quit: "ctrl+q"

Key Command Configuration

The TUI provides customizable key bindings for all major actions. The default key bindings are:

Action Default Key Description
New Line enter (multiline mode) / shift+enter (single-line mode) Insert a new line in the input area
Submit shift+enter (multiline mode) / enter (single-line mode) Submit the current input
Cancel ctrl+c Stop and stash current input prompt
Stop escape Interrupt the current LLM response or task
Cycle Forward tab Cycle forward through completion suggestions
Cycle Backward shift+tab Cycle backward through completion suggestions
Focus ctrl+f Focus the input area
Clear ctrl+l Clear the output area
Quit ctrl+q Exit the TUI

Customizing Key Bindings

You can customize any key binding by adding a key_bindings section to your tui-config. For example, to change the quit key to ctrl+x:

tui-config:
  key_bindings:
    quit: "ctrl+x"

All key bindings use Textual’s key syntax:

  • Single keys: enter, escape, tab
  • Modifier combinations: ctrl+c, shift+enter, etc.

Benefits

  • Improved Productivity: Reduced context switching with all information visible at once
  • Better Organization: Clear separation of concerns between input, output, and status
  • Enhanced Readability: Proper formatting and syntax highlighting for code discussions
  • Real-time Feedback: Immediate visual feedback for all operations
  • Modern Interface: Familiar UI patterns that reduce cognitive load
  • Accessibility: Full keyboard navigation without requiring mouse interaction

Integration with Other Modes

TUI Mode works seamlessly with other aider-ce features:

  • Agent Mode: Visual feedback for tool calls and autonomous operations
  • Skills: Clean display of skill outputs and interactions
  • MCP Servers: Integrated display of MCP tool outputs
  • Git Operations: Real-time git status updates in the footer

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

  1. TUI not starting: Ensure your terminal supports True Color (24-bit color)
  2. Display issues: Try resizing your terminal window
  3. Performance problems: Reduce terminal refresh rate or disable animations
  4. Input lag: Check for conflicts with terminal multiplexers (tmux, screen)

Terminal Requirements

  • True Color Support: Required for proper color rendering
  • Minimum Size: 80x24 terminal size recommended
  • Unicode Support: Required for proper symbol display
  • Modern Terminal: Recommended: Kitty, WezTerm, iTerm2, or Windows Terminal

TUI Mode represents a significant evolution in cecli’s user experience, providing a modern, efficient interface for AI pair programming while maintaining the power and flexibility of the command-line foundation. Ideally, this mode makes ai-enabled programming more colorful and more fun for us all!