ista
Ista - A versatile command line speed reader to enhance your reading efficiency
Summary
| Latest Version | 0.1.0 |
|---|---|
| License | GPL-2.0 |
| CI Status | Failing |
| Downloads | 0 |
| Last Indexed | 2026-07-21 05:27 |
Tags
Authors
- M
Installation
nimble install ista
choosenim install ista
git clone https://github.com/arashi-software/ista
OS Compatibility
| Platform | Linux | macOS | Windows | FreeBSD | OpenBSD | NetBSD | Android | iOS | WASM | Embedded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ista | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Dependencies
| Package | Version | Optional |
|---|---|---|
| nim >= | 2.2.0 | No |
| therapist#HEAD | - | No |
Source
| Repository | https://github.com/arashi-software/ista |
|---|---|
| Homepage | https://github.com/arashi-software/ista |
| Registry Source | nimble_official |
README
Ista
Ista is a fast, minimal, terminal-based speed reader inspired by RSVP (Rapid Serial Visual Presentation). It helps you read text efficiently by displaying words (or chunks of words) at a controlled WPM, with optional focus highlighting (ORP-style).
Features
- Blazingly Fast
- Focus/ORP Highlighting
- Chunked reading
- Command Line first
- Read text from files or stdin
Demo
https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/609a006d-5d6b-4545-a644-47e0ea8bc4f1
Installation
Prerequisites
- Nim (recommended: latest stable)
- Nimble (usually packaged with nim)
Build
nimble install https://github.com/arashi-software/ista
Usage
Basic Usage
ista myfile.txt
ista -w 300 myfile.txt
cat article.txt | ista -w 400
ista --chunk 2 -w 200 book.txt
Options
| Flag | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
--wpm |
Target words per minute | 300 |
--chunk |
Number of words displayed at once | 1 |
--no-focus |
Disable focus highlighting | off |
<file> |
Input file | stdin |
Example
ista book.txt --wpm 500 --chunk 2 --no-focus
Timing
Ista keeps true WPM accurate by: 1. Calculating the target time per word (or chunk) 2. Measuring how long terminal rendering takes 3. Sleeping only for the remaining time This makes sure that:
(render time + sleep time) ≈ target delay
Even at high speeds, the effective reading rate stays consistent.
Focus Mode (ORP)
By default, Ista highlights the Optimal Recognition Point (ORP) of each word in red. This helps your eyes fixate consistently and reduces saccades. You can disable it with:
ista -f
Roadmap
- [ ] PDF parsing
- [ ] Epub parsing
- [ ] Better text scrolling
Housekeeping
As always, contributions, issues, and suggestions are welcome.