show-and-tell

Display content for users (files, URLs, commands) or observe their screen context.

Quick Reference

Command	Example	Description
show <file>	show README.md:42	Open file in Neovim at line
show <url>	show github.com	Open URL in browser
show "cmd:..."	show "cmd:git log"	Run command in shell pane
look	look -l 100	Capture pane content
look -H	look -H	Show tmux hierarchy only

When to Use

• User asks to open/display a file or URL
• User says "show me" or "look at my screen"
• Working in voice mode (hands-free interaction)
• Need to verify what user is viewing

Usage

AI assistants: Use full path ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/show and ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/look.

show - Display Content

show README.md                    # Open file
show src/main.py:42               # Open at line 42
show https://github.com/repo      # Open URL
show "cmd:git status"             # Run command
show pane:15                      # Focus pane

look - Observe Context

look                              # Current pane
look -l 100                       # Last 100 lines
look -H                           # Hierarchy only
look %15,%16                      # Multiple panes
look window                       # All panes in window

Documentation

• Commands - Full command reference
• Voice Mode - Hands-free workflows
• Troubleshooting - Common issues

Chrome Browser Integration

When Claude-in-Chrome MCP is available, prefer using it for URLs to enable interactive browser control.

Why Use Chrome MCP

• Interactive control: Scroll, click, and interact with page elements
• Page inspection: Read page content with read_page tool
• Form filling: Use form_input for automated form completion
• Screenshots: Capture visual state with computer action: screenshot
• Better demos: Live browser interaction for presentations

Detection and Fallback Pattern

Before showing a URL, check if you have access to mcp__claude-in-chrome__ tools:

AI wants to show URL
    │
    ▼
Does AI have mcp__claude-in-chrome__* tools?
    │
    ├─ YES ──► Call tabs_context_mcp to verify connection
    │              │
    │              ├─ Connected ──► Use navigate tool
    │              │
    │              └─ Not connected ──► Fall back to show command
    │
    └─ NO ───► Use show command directly

Example: Show URL with Chrome MCP

# Step 1: Check if Chrome MCP is connected
# Call: mcp__claude-in-chrome__tabs_context_mcp

# Step 2: If connected, create a tab and navigate
# Call: mcp__claude-in-chrome__tabs_create_mcp (get a new tab)
# Call: mcp__claude-in-chrome__navigate with the URL and tabId

# Step 3: If not connected, fall back to show command
show https://example.com

Troubleshooting Chrome MCP

Issue	Solution
tabs_context_mcp fails	Chrome extension not connected; use show command
Tab ID invalid	Call tabs_context_mcp to get fresh tab IDs
Extension disconnected mid-session	Graceful fallback to show command
No Chrome MCP tools available	MCP not configured; use show command

Setup

To use Chrome MCP:

1. Install the Claude-in-Chrome browser extension
2. Open Chrome and click the Claude extension icon
3. The extension connects to Claude Code via MCP

When the extension is not connected, tabs_context_mcp will fail, and you should fall back to the standard show command.

Requirements

• tmux: Required for pane management
• Neovim: For file display (with socket support)
• Browser: For URL display (Firefox preferred, Chrome with MCP preferred for interactive control)
• nvim-remote: Optional, enhances Neovim integration