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 <file>`	`show main.py:10-20`	Open file highlighting line range
`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 (For URLs: ALWAYS check Chrome MCP first)
•User says "show me" or "look at my screen"
•Working in voice mode (hands-free interaction)
•Need to verify what user is viewing

Showing URLs - Default Behavior

URLs go to Chrome MCP by default. The show command is a fallback.

URL Navigation Decision Tree

code

User requests URL
    ↓
Check Chrome MCP available?
    ├─ Yes → navigate tool (interactive)
    └─ No  → show command (fallback)

Standard Workflow

•Check: mcp__claude-in-chrome__tabs_context_mcp(createIfEmpty=true)
•
If available:
- •Inform user: "Opening in Chrome - you may need to approve domain permissions"
- •Use tabs_create_mcp + navigate tools for interactive control
- •On timeout: "Chrome may be waiting for permission approval. Open in default browser instead?"
•If unavailable: Use show command (opens default browser)

Chrome MCP provides:

•Interactive control (scroll, click, fill forms)
•Screenshots and page inspection
•Better for demos and automation

The show command is a fallback for when Chrome MCP is unavailable.

Usage

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

show - Display Content

bash

show README.md                    # Open file
show src/main.py:42               # Open at line 42
show src/main.py:10-20            # Open highlighting lines 10-20
show bin/show#L124-162            # Highlight function (URL fragment syntax)
show https://github.com/repo      # Open URL
show "cmd:git status"             # Run command
show pane:15                      # Focus pane

look - Observe Context

bash

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 (Reference)

This section provides additional details on Chrome MCP integration. See "Showing URLs - Default Behavior" above for the primary workflow.

Chrome Domain Permissions

Chrome requires user approval for new domains (security feature).

Best practices:

•Before navigating: Inform user they may need to approve domain permissions
•On timeout: Explain likely cause - "Chrome may be waiting for permission approval"
•Offer fallback: "Would you like me to open in default browser instead?"

Common issue: If navigation times out, it's usually because the user didn't see or approve the Chrome domain permission prompt.

Example: Show URL with Chrome MCP

bash

# Step 1: Check if Chrome MCP is connected
# Call: mcp__claude-in-chrome__tabs_context_mcp(createIfEmpty=true)

# Step 2: If connected, inform user and navigate
# "Opening in Chrome - you may need to approve domain permissions"
# 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 or timeout, 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:

•Install the Claude-in-Chrome browser extension
•Open Chrome and click the Claude extension icon
•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