ArbSh - Arabic-First Shell

Current Version: 0.8.1-alpha Status: Phase 6 In Progress - File Management & Windows Installer Integration Next Phase: Phase 6 - Baa Language & External Process Integration

ArbSh is an Arabic-first command-line shell built on C#/.NET, designed specifically for Arabic developers and users. Inspired by PowerShell's object pipeline architecture, ArbSh provides a powerful, extensible environment with native Arabic language support and full Unicode BiDi compliance.

🌟 Key Features

Arabic-First Design

• Native Arabic Commands: Execute commands using Arabic script (الأوامر, مساعدة, اطبع, انتقل, اعرض, المسار, اخرج)
• Full BiDi Support: Complete Unicode BiDi Algorithm (UAX #9) implementation
• RTL Text Handling: Proper Right-to-Left text rendering and processing
• Arabic Parameter Names: Support for Arabic-first parameters (e.g., -الأمر, -كامل, -النص)

Modern Shell Architecture

• Object Pipeline: PowerShell-inspired object-based command pipeline
• Task-Based Concurrency: Efficient parallel pipeline execution
• Reflection-Based Binding: Dynamic parameter binding with type conversion
• Subexpression Execution: PowerShell-style $(...) command substitution
• Type Literal Support: [TypeName] type casting functionality

Cross-Platform Compatibility

• Built on .NET: Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux)
• Unicode Compliant: Full UTF-8 and Unicode text processing
• Modern C# Architecture: Extensible cmdlet framework

🚀 Current Status (Version 0.8.1-alpha)

✅ Phase 5 Complete: Custom GUI Terminal Baseline

Completed Features:

• Complete BiDi Algorithm Implementation: All rule sets (P, X, W, N, I, L) fully implemented
• Subexpression Execution: PowerShell-style $(...) command substitution WORKING
• Type Literal Utilization: [TypeName] type casting functionality WORKING
• 70+ BiDi Tests Passing: Comprehensive Unicode BidiTest.txt compliance
• Arabic Command Surface: Runtime command discovery and invocation are Arabic-only for user-facing cmdlets
• File Management Commands: Added Arabic-first directory navigation/listing commands with session-scoped working directory
• Windows Context Menu Installer Flow: Added installer packaging scripts that register "Open in ArbSh" Explorer entries

🏗️ Core Architecture (Fully Functional)

Pipeline System:

• Object-based pipeline with task-based concurrency
• Dynamic parameter binding using reflection
• Command discovery and caching
• Stream redirection and merging (>, >>, 2>, 2>&1, <)

Advanced Parsing:

• Quote handling ("...", '...') with escape sequences
• Variable expansion ($variableName) with concatenation
• Statement separation (;) and pipeline operators (|)
• Subexpression parsing $(...) with recursive command structures
• Type literal parsing [TypeName] with whitespace support

Arabic Language Integration:

• Arabic command names via [ArabicName] attributes
• Arabic parameter names (e.g., -الأمر, -كامل, -النص)
• Full Unicode text processing and BiDi algorithm compliance

Available Commands:

• اطبع - Output objects to pipeline or console
• مساعدة - Display command help and documentation
• الأوامر - List all available commands
• انتقل - Change current session directory
• المسار - Print current session directory
• اعرض - List files/folders in current or target directory
• اختبار-مصفوفة - Validate array parameter binding behavior
• اختبار-نوع - Validate type literal conversion behavior
• اخرج - Exit the current host session (host command)

BiDi Algorithm Implementation:

• Complete UAX #9 compliance with all rule sets (P, X, W, N, I, L)
• ICU4N library integration for accurate Unicode character properties
• 70+ BidiTest.txt compliance tests passing
• Real-time BiDi processing for mixed Arabic/English content

🎯 Next Phase: Phase 6 - Baa Language & External Process Integration

Upcoming Features:

• External process execution inside the GUI terminal (git, dotnet, node)
• Baa compiler output hosting with flawless Arabic rendering
• Stream routing for foreground/background process integration
• Arabic path/process handling improvements

📁 Project Structure

ArbSh/
├── src_csharp/                 # C#/.NET Implementation
│   ├── ArbSh.Console/          # Main console application
│   │   ├── Commands/           # Cmdlet implementations
│   │   ├── Parsing/            # Parser and tokenizer
│   │   ├── I18n/               # BiDi algorithm and Arabic support
│   │   ├── Models/             # Data models and pipeline objects
│   │   └── Program.cs          # REPL entry point
│   └── ArbSh.sln              # Visual Studio solution
├── docs/                       # Comprehensive documentation
│   ├── BIDI_*_RULES_DESIGN.md # BiDi algorithm technical specs
│   ├── USAGE_EXAMPLES.md      # Complete feature guide
│   └── PROJECT_ORGANIZATION.md # Architecture documentation
├── old_c_code/                # Original C implementation (reference)
├── ROADMAP.md                 # Development phases and progress
├── CHANGELOG.md               # Version history
└── README.md                  # This file

Build System: Standard .NET CLI (dotnet build, dotnet run)

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• .NET 6.0 or later
• Windows, macOS, or Linux

Running ArbSh

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/OmarAglan/ArbSh.git
   cd ArbSh

2. Navigate to the console project:

   cd src_csharp/ArbSh.Console

3. Run the shell:

   dotnet run

4. Try some commands:

   ArbSh> الأوامر
   ArbSh> المسار
   ArbSh> اعرض
   ArbSh> انتقل مشروع
   ArbSh> مساعدة
   ArbSh> اطبع $(الأوامر)
   ArbSh> اختبار-نوع [int] 42
   ArbSh> اخرج

Building a Release

A PowerShell script (create-release.ps1) automates release creation:

2. Run the release script:

   .\create-release.ps1 -Version "0.8.1-alpha"

This creates a self-contained release build and packages it into releases/ directory.

3. Build release + installer package (Windows context menu):

   .\create-release.ps1 -Version "0.8.1-alpha" -CreateInstaller

This also creates ArbSh-v<version>-<rid>-installer.zip with:

• Install-ArbSh.ps1
• Uninstall-ArbSh.ps1
• App/ published ArbSh.Terminal

📖 Documentation

• USAGE_EXAMPLES.md - Complete feature guide with working examples
• PROJECT_ORGANIZATION.md - Architecture and project structure
• ROADMAP.md - Development phases and progress tracking
• CHANGELOG.md - Version history and technical details
• docs/DOCUMENTATION_INDEX.md - Complete documentation index

🤝 Contributing

ArbSh welcomes contributions from developers interested in Arabic language computing and modern shell development. See our documentation for:

• Project architecture and organization
• BiDi algorithm implementation details
• Arabic language integration patterns
• Testing frameworks and standards

🎯 Arabic-First Philosophy

ArbSh is designed specifically for Arabic developers and users, not as a bilingual shell. Our approach:

• Native Arabic Commands: Primary interface in Arabic script
• Cultural Localization: Arabic developer workflow optimization
• Unicode Compliance: Full BiDi algorithm implementation
• Community Focus: Built by and for the Arabic developer community

📋 Current Limitations

Current Focus (Phase 6):

• External process execution in the custom terminal
• Baa compiler integration workflow
• Process stream interop with ArbSh pipeline

Future Phases:

• External process execution (Phase 6)
• Advanced scripting features (Phase 7)
• Tab completion and command history
• Rich error handling and reporting

🌟 Vision

ArbSh aims to be the premier command-line shell for Arabic developers, providing:

• Seamless Arabic language integration
• Modern object-oriented pipeline architecture
• Full Unicode and BiDi compliance
• Cross-platform compatibility
• Extensible cmdlet framework

Current Status: Phase 6 In Progress - File Management/Installer Foundations Ready