how to add user-configured spotters?

[svonjoi]

What system are you running Yazi on?

Linux X11

What terminal are you running Yazi in?

kitty 0.42.2

yazi --debug output

Yazi
    Version: 25.5.31 (Arch Linux 2025-07-23)
    Debug  : false
    Triple : x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu (linux-x86_64)
    Rustc  : 1.88.0 (6b00bc38 2025-06-23)

Ya
    Version: 25.5.31 (Arch Linux 2025-07-23)

Emulator
    TERM                : Some("xterm-kitty")
    TERM_PROGRAM        : None
    TERM_PROGRAM_VERSION: None
    Brand.from_env      : Some(Kitty)
    Emulator.detect     : Emulator { kind: Left(Kitty), light: false, csi_16t: (10, 24), force_16t: false }

Adapter
    Adapter.matches    : X11
    Dimension.available: Dimension { rows: 27, columns: 119, width: 1190, height: 648 }

Desktop
    XDG_SESSION_TYPE           : Some("x11")
    WAYLAND_DISPLAY            : None
    DISPLAY                    : Some(":0")
    SWAYSOCK                   : None
    HYPRLAND_INSTANCE_SIGNATURE: None
    WAYFIRE_SOCKET             : None

SSH
    shared.in_ssh_connection: false

WSL
    WSL: false

Variables
    SHELL           : Some("/usr/bin/zsh")
    EDITOR          : Some("/home/morke/.config/scripts/defaulteditor")
    VISUAL          : None
    YAZI_FILE_ONE   : None
    YAZI_CONFIG_HOME: None
    YAZI_ZOXIDE_OPTS: None
    FZF_DEFAULT_OPTS: None

Text Opener
    default     : Some(OpenerRule { run: "${EDITOR:-vi} \"$@\"", block: true, orphan: false, desc: "$EDITOR", for: None, spread: true })
    block-create: Some(OpenerRule { run: "${EDITOR:-vi} \"$@\"", block: true, orphan: false, desc: "$EDITOR", for: None, spread: true })
    block-rename: Some(OpenerRule { run: "${EDITOR:-vi} \"$@\"", block: true, orphan: false, desc: "$EDITOR", for: None, spread: true })

Multiplexers
    TMUX               : false
    tmux version       : No such file or directory (os error 2)
    tmux build flags   : enable-sixel=Unknown
    ZELLIJ_SESSION_NAME: Some("master")
    Zellij version     : 0.43.1

Dependencies
    file          : 5.46
    ueberzugpp    : No such file or directory (os error 2)
    ffmpeg/ffprobe: 7.1.1 / 7.1.1
    pdftoppm      : 25.08.0
    magick        : 7.1.2-0
    fzf           : 0.65.1
    fd/fdfind     : 10.2.0 / No such file or directory (os error 2)
    rg            : 14.1.1
    chafa         : No such file or directory (os error 2)
    zoxide        : No such file or directory (os error 2)
    7zz/7z        : No such file or directory (os error 2) / 25.01
    resvg         : No such file or directory (os error 2)
    jq            : 1.8.1

Clipboard
    wl-copy/paste: No such file or directory (os error 2) / No such file or directory (os error 2)
    xclip        : 0.13
    xsel         : 1.2.1

Routine
    `file -bL --mime-type`: text/plain


See https://yazi-rs.github.io/docs/plugins/overview#debugging on how to enable logging or debug runtime errors.

Describe the question

according to layer docs it seems like there is a way to add user-configured spotters

spot: File information spotter, which uses user-configured spotters to display metadata for different file types, such as dimensions and color space for image files, duration and encoding for video files, total size of directories, etc.

how to add, for example, exif metadata field using exiftool?

exiftool -SubSecDateTimeOriginal -d '%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S' <file>

Anything else?

No response

Checklist

• I have read all the documentation
• I have searched the existing discussions/issues

[boydaihungst]

Make a plugin return spot function. Because spot function is async context, you can use Command to call shell command and get output. Then display it as you want.

yazi/yazi-plugin/preset/plugins/file.lua

Lines 19 to 30 in b65a880

	function M:spot(job)
	ya.spot_table(
	job,
	ui.Table(self:spot_base(job))
	:area(ui.Pos { "center", w = 60, h = 20 })
	:row(1)
	:col(1)
	:col_style(th.spot.tbl_col)
	:cell_style(th.spot.tbl_cell)
	:widths { ui.Constraint.Length(14), ui.Constraint.Fill(1) }
	)
	end

For example: plugins/test-spotter.yazi/main.lua
Then in yazi.toml add your plugin in spotters sections:
Use name/url or mime:

[plugin]
prepend_spotters = [
  { name = "/path/to/location/you/want/*", run = "test-spotter", prio = "high" },
]

[svonjoi]

thanks. is there a way to add spotter without rewrite the existent one?

for example, if i add spotter to mime image, i have to manually add base and image spotter along mine

[boydaihungst]

You still need to add new plugin, and in your new plugin > M:spot(job), you can call other plugin exported function, for example call M:spot_base() of image plugin:

function M:spot(job)
  -- This doesn't need to be built-in plugin, added plugin via ya pkg is also work
	local image_plugin_ok, image_plugin = pcall(require, "image")
	if image_plugin_ok then
		-- Call image plugin exported function
		local rows = image_plugin_ok:spot_base(job)
		-- Add your own custom row to the start
		table.insert(rows, 1, ui.Row({ "Hello world" }))

    -- Render spotter
		ya.spot_table(
			job,
			-- This one actually called file plugin exported function first
			ui.Table(ya.list_merge(rows, require("file"):spot_base(job)))
				:area(ui.Pos({ "center", w = 60, h = 20 }))
				:row(job.skip)
				:row(1)
				:col(1)
				:col_style(th.spot.tbl_col)
				:cell_style(th.spot.tbl_cell)
				:widths({ ui.Constraint.Length(14), ui.Constraint.Fill(1) })
		)
	end
end

And in yazi.toml set run="your-plugin-name-here".

[svonjoi]

thanks, since now for my use case i add new plugin for media type so can extend image or video spotters.

btw little typo

- local rows = image_plugin_ok:spot_base(job)
+ local rows = image_plugin:spot_base(job)

[svonjoi]

how could i use the same spotter plugin but extending the corresponding base spotter?

local image_plugin_ok, image_plugin = pcall(require, <image or video>)

found mime but i dont relaize how to use it in the spot func

[boydaihungst]

No you can't. Just create a new plugin base spotter is just a function return a table of ui.Rows. You can add more rows or delete any row.

IIrc, mime can get from job.mime