Interactive Mode Guide

Use Capcat's visual menu system for zero-memorization operation.

What You'll Learn

• Launch and navigate interactive mode
• Use the main menu
• Manage sources visually
• Quick operations without typing commands

Starting Interactive Mode

./capcat catch

You'll see the Capcat logo and main menu:

Navigation Basics

Arrow Keys:

Move up/down through options

Enter:

Select highlighted option

Ctrl+C:

Go back to previous menu

Space:

Toggle checkboxes (when selecting multiple items)

Main Menu Options

1. Catch from a Bundle

What it does:

Fetch from pre-configured source groups

Steps:

1. Select "Catch articles from a bundle of sources"
2. Choose your bundle (tech, news, science, etc.)
3. Choose whether to generate HTML
4. Articles are fetched automatically

Example:

Select: tech
Generate HTML: Yes
Action: bundle
Bundle: tech
Generate HTML: true

Result:

Tech news collected with HTML for browsing

2. Catch from Multiple Sources

What it does:

Pick individual sources to fetch from

Steps:

1. Select "Catch articles from a list of sources"
2. Use Space to check sources you want
3. Press Enter when done selecting
4. Choose HTML generation
5. Articles are fetched

Example:

Select with Space:

[x] hn              Hacker News
[x] bbc             BBC News
[ ] guardian        The Guardian
[x] nature          Nature News

Result:

Articles from HN, BBC, and Nature

3. Catch from Single Source

What it does:

Fetch from one source only

Steps:

1. Select "Catch from a single source"
2. Choose the source from the list
3. Choose HTML generation
4. Articles are fetched

Faster than:

Typing ./capcat fetch sourcename

4. Catch Single Article by URL

What it does:

Download one specific article

Steps:

1. Select "Catch a single article by URL"
2. Paste the article URL
3. Choose HTML generation
4. Article is saved

Use case:

Found an interesting article while browsing

5. Manage Sources

Opens the source management submenu:

Source Management - Select an option:

  > Add New Source from RSS Feed
    Generate Custom Source Config
    Remove Existing Sources
    List All Sources
    Test a Source
    Manage Bundles

    Back to Main Menu

Source Management Submenu

Add New Source from RSS Feed

Quick way to add a new source:

Steps:

1. Select "Add New Source from RSS Feed"
2. Paste RSS feed URL
3. System auto-detects feed title
4. Enter source ID (suggested automatically)
5. Select category
6. Optionally add to bundle
7. Optionally test the source

Example:

Enter RSS feed URL: https://techcrunch.com/feed/

[OK] Feed 'TechCrunch' found.
Source ID: techcrunch
Category: tech
Add to bundle? Yes
  Bundle: tech
Test fetch? Yes
[OK] Source added and verified!

List All Sources

Browse all available sources by category:

Shows:

• Source ID
• Display name
• Organized by category

Select any source

to view details:

• ID, name, category
• Base URL
• Discovery method
• Source type (config-driven or custom)

Test a Source

Verify a source works:

Steps:

1. Select "Test a Source"
2. Choose source from list
3. System fetches 3 sample articles
4. View results

Use when:

• Adding new source
• Troubleshooting
• Checking if source still works

Remove Existing Sources

Clean up unused sources:

Steps:

1. Select "Remove Existing Sources"
2. Use Space to check sources to remove
3. Confirm removal
4. Automatic backup created
5. Sources removed

Safety:

• Backup created automatically
• Can undo if needed
• Usage statistics shown

Pro Tips

Fast Navigation:

• Type first letter to jump to items starting with that letter
• Ctrl+C goes back without making changes
• Tab key for autocomplete (in text inputs)

Efficient Workflow:

• Use bundles for daily routine (fewer clicks)
• Use multi-source for custom combinations
• Use single URL for one-off articles

No Typing Needed:

• Everything is selectable with arrow keys
• No command memorization required
• Perfect for daily use

Common Workflows

Morning News Routine

1. ./capcat catch
2. Select: "Catch articles from a bundle of sources"
3. Choose: "tech"
4. HTML: "Yes"
5. Done - reading in browser

Add and Test New Source

1. ./capcat catch
2. Select: "Manage Sources"
3. Select: "Add New Source from RSS Feed"
4. Paste URL
5. Follow prompts
6. Test: "Yes"

Custom Selection

1. ./capcat catch
2. Select: "Catch articles from a list of sources"
3. Space to select: hn, bbc, nature
4. Enter to confirm
5. HTML: "Yes"

When to Use Interactive Mode

Use interactive mode when:

• Starting your daily routine
• Adding/managing sources
• You want visual feedback
• You don't remember exact commands

Use CLI instead when:

• Automating with scripts
• Batch operations
• Faster for single repeated command
• Logging to file needed

Next Steps

Expand your workflow:

• Managing Sources - Deep dive into source management
• Bundles - Create custom bundles

Technical details:

• Interactive Mode Comprehensive - Every function documented

Quick Reference

# Start interactive mode
./capcat catch

# Navigation
Arrow keys   - Move selection
Enter        - Confirm
Space        - Toggle checkbox
Ctrl+C       - Go back
Tab          - Autocomplete

# Main menu shortcuts
1. Bundle selection
2. Multi-source selection
3. Single source
4. Single URL
5. Manage sources
6. Exit