· Version 0.2.3

Novelist 0.2.3 — `novelist` in your terminal, a visible updater

New `novelist` CLI entry (modeled after VS Code's `code`), a rewritten auto-updater with a banner → progress modal → explicit restart, and a single rule for chapter naming: `{N}` is always Arabic, `{CN}` is always Chinese.

0.2.3 is a patch release, but every change shows up in daily workflow: there’s a novelist command in your terminal now, the auto-updater no longer happens “silently,” and chapter auto-naming finally has a single, explicit rule.

novelist command-line entry

Modeled after VS Code’s code. Invoke files or folders from any terminal:

  • novelist file.md opens the file (reuses the existing single-file window if any, otherwise opens a fresh one)
  • novelist /path/to/project always opens the folder in a new window
  • novelist -n file.md forces a new window even for files
  • novelist -g file.md:42:5 opens and jumps to line:col
  • novelist --help / --version print and exit without launching the GUI

tauri-plugin-single-instance dedupes concurrent invocations: a second novelist … forwards its argv to the running instance rather than spawning a duplicate process.

Install via the command palette: “Install ‘novelist’ Command in PATH” symlinks the bundled shim to /usr/local/bin/novelist on macOS/Linux. On Windows it copies novelist.cmd into %LOCALAPPDATA%\Novelist\bin\ and the dialog explains how to add that directory to PATH.

A visible auto-updater

The old startup check ran silently and disappeared even when a new version was found. Now:

  1. Startup check finds a new version → bottom-right banner.
  2. Click Install → in-app modal shows download progress (bytes + %) → installing → “Update installed. Restart now?”
  3. Explicit Restart Now / Restart Later choice. Restart goes through tauri-plugin-process::relaunch.

Also fixed a long-standing rough edge: the updater no longer silently fails to relaunch after install — the app actually exits and restarts on the new binary.

Chapter naming

{N}’s behavior used to depend on whether the template started with 第 — implicit magic. Now it’s explicit:

  • {N} is always Arabic (1, 2, 3)
  • {CN} is always lowercase Chinese (一, 二, 三)
  • Default new-file template changes from Untitled {N} to 第{N}章-{title} (existing user/project settings are not touched)
  • The capital-Chinese / financial form ({cN} → 壹贰叁) was removed. Templates using it must switch to {CN}.

Also

  • Full details: upstream CHANGELOG
  • Known follow-ups: --wait / $EDITOR integration is not yet implemented; the Windows shim install does not auto-edit PATH.

Download 0.2.3 →