Lab

Lab lets you experiment with code instantly—just type lab js (or any extension) and your editor opens, ready to go. No more overhead of creating files and folders. Your experiments are automatically organized with smart names (e.g., 250112a.js) in a lab folder, and they clean themselves up after 7 days to keep things tidy.

Install

macOS (Intel)

curl -L https://github.com/lugenx/lab/releases/latest/download/lab-darwin-amd64 -o /tmp/lab && chmod +x /tmp/lab && sudo mv /tmp/lab /usr/local/bin/lab

macOS (Apple Silicon)

curl -L https://github.com/lugenx/lab/releases/latest/download/lab-darwin-arm64 -o /tmp/lab && chmod +x /tmp/lab && sudo mv /tmp/lab /usr/local/bin/lab

Linux

curl -L https://github.com/lugenx/lab/releases/latest/download/lab-linux-amd64 -o /tmp/lab && chmod +x /tmp/lab && sudo mv /tmp/lab /usr/local/bin/lab

Windows

# Create directory in AppData
mkdir "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Lab"

# Download executable
curl -L -o "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Lab\lab.exe" https://github.com/lugenx/lab/releases/latest/download/lab-windows-amd64.exe

# Add to PATH (might need to restart terminal)
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", $env:Path + ";$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Lab", "User")

Usage

Open a new file:

# Open a fresh file with an extension
lab <extension> 

# Examples:
lab js      # Opens a new JavaScript file
lab py      # Opens a new Python file
lab any     # Opens a new file with any extension

List your files:

# List files in your lab folder
lab

# Example output:
Lab Files: ~/lab/

[1]  250112c.js     6d    # Will be deleted in 6 days
[2]  250112b.py     12h   # Will be deleted in 12 hours
[3]  250112a.go     45m   # Will be deleted in 45 minutes

Open recent files:

# Open a recent file by number
lab <number>

# Examples:
lab 0                  # Open the config file
lab 1                  # Open the most recent file
lab 2                  # Open the second file

Manage files:

# Delete files
lab -d <number>
lab --delete <number>

# Get file path
lab -p <number>
lab --path <number>

# Run any command on the file
lab -r <number> <command>
lab --run <number> <command>

# Run the file if its compiled executable
lab -r, --run <number>

# Example:
lab -d 2               # delete file #2
lab -p 1               # show file path
lab -r 1               # run file #1 if it is executable binary
lab -r 1 node          # run file with Node.js
lab -r 2 vim           # open file in different editor
lab -r 3 cat           # view file contents

Other commands:

lab -v, --version      # show version
lab -h, --help         # show help

Features

• Instant Start: lab <extension> opens a fresh file.
• Quick Access: lab <number> reopens recent files.
• Auto-Cleanup: Files expire automatically after 7 days (configurable).
• Smart Time Display: Shows remaining time in days/hours/minutes with color indicators
• Simple Listing: Just run lab to see your files, newest first
• File Management: Delete, run, or use files with other tools

Configuration

Lab creates a config file at ~/lab/.lab:

editor=nvim          # your preferred editor
lifedays=7          # how long to keep files
prefix=lab          # file prefix

You can also set the LABPATH environment variable to change the parent directory of the lab from the default home directory (~/lab).

Focus on experimenting and trying out ideas without distractions—Lab simplifies the process so you can start coding immediately.

Demo

See Lab in action: