# Show HN: LiveComment – "Who Is Hiring?" Plugin

> Source: <https://github.com/d08ble/livecomment>
> Published: 2026-06-04 01:44:38+00:00

A small **web framework** around your repo: Express serves the UI, Socket.IO keeps the tree in sync, and **plugins** extend the browser with the same `//:=frame('client.exec')`

story on client and server. Your **code** stays center stage. Built for fast navigation, live reload, and **AI-assisted** work (one surface for you, your editor, and tools).

- Minimal core, strong
**plugin** story with live reload (`plugins/0/…`

) **Same code** for client and server where you want it — e.g.`//:=frame('client.exec')`

**Auto ports**: if HTTP or WebSocket ports are taken, the next free ones are used (see console)- Optional
**VSCode/monaco** for code blocks (themes, line modes, fit height) — plugin`D000-monaco-editor.js`

**Drag–drop** scopes and nodes, safer path paste —`C000-drag-drop-content.js`

**Color tags** on nodes, persisted locally, filter/hide by color —`F000-color-buttons.js`

- Multilanguage highlighting, file watch, code navigator

- For 80/20 developers who live in the tree
- Code navigator, refactor-friendly structure
- Local “cloud IDE” extension: browser + your disk
- Brain helper for big codebases — and for models that need
**grounded** file context

Extensions in `plugins/0/`

(live reload). With the server running, open [http://localhost:3070/plugins](http://localhost:3070/plugins) to browse plugins in the tree. Index:

[0000 Init](#0000-init)—[plugins/0/0000-init.js](/d08ble/livecomment/blob/master/plugins/0/0000-init.js)[A000 Route](#a000-route)—[plugins/0/A000-route.js](/d08ble/livecomment/blob/master/plugins/0/A000-route.js)[B000 URL iframe preview](#b000-url-iframe-preview)—[plugins/0/B000-url-iframe-preview.js](/d08ble/livecomment/blob/master/plugins/0/B000-url-iframe-preview.js)[C000 Drag-drop content](#c000-drag-drop-content)—[plugins/0/C000-drag-drop-content.js](/d08ble/livecomment/blob/master/plugins/0/C000-drag-drop-content.js)[D000 Monaco editor](#d000-monaco-editor)—[plugins/0/D000-monaco-editor.js](/d08ble/livecomment/blob/master/plugins/0/D000-monaco-editor.js)[E000 Enable-disable](#e000-enable-disable)—[plugins/0/E000-enable-disable.js](/d08ble/livecomment/blob/master/plugins/0/E000-enable-disable.js)[F000 Color buttons](#f000-color-buttons)—[plugins/0/F000-color-buttons.js](/d08ble/livecomment/blob/master/plugins/0/F000-color-buttons.js)[G000 Ruler](#g000-ruler)—[plugins/0/G000-ruler.js](/d08ble/livecomment/blob/master/plugins/0/G000-ruler.js)[I000 AI](#i000-ai)—[plugins/0/I000-ai.js](/d08ble/livecomment/blob/master/plugins/0/I000-ai.js)[I001 Export tree](#i001-export-tree)—[plugins/0/I001-export-tree.js](/d08ble/livecomment/blob/master/plugins/0/I001-export-tree.js)[J001 HN Firebase plugin — Ask HN: Who is hiring?](#j001-hn-firebase)—[plugins/0/J001-hn-firebase.js](/d08ble/livecomment/blob/master/plugins/0/J001-hn-firebase.js)

[plugins/0/0000-init.js](/d08ble/livecomment/blob/master/plugins/0/0000-init.js) — Client and server bootstrap (`client.exec`

/ `server.exec`

); registers `client.css`

frame for scoped `<style>`

tags; default menu and scope styling.

[plugins/0/A000-route.js](/d08ble/livecomment/blob/master/plugins/0/A000-route.js) — Server routes `/b`

, `/c`

, `/plugins`

; `filterRoute`

rewrites `*HIDE*`

nodes and `*TEST_HOSTNAME*`

placeholders; `?queryHash=plugins_only`

limits the tree to `plugins/0/`

.

[plugins/0/B000-url-iframe-preview.js](/d08ble/livecomment/blob/master/plugins/0/B000-url-iframe-preview.js) — **Preview** button on highlighted links in code blocks; toggles an inline iframe (sites with `X-Frame-Options`

may not embed).

[plugins/0/C000-drag-drop-content.js](/d08ble/livecomment/blob/master/plugins/0/C000-drag-drop-content.js) — Drag scope names and node names from the tree; drop into editors or paste paths (basenames for local files, full URL for `http(s)`

).

[plugins/0/D000-monaco-editor.js](/d08ble/livecomment/blob/master/plugins/0/D000-monaco-editor.js) — Monaco / VS Code editor for code blocks (CDN); language mapping, themes, line-number modes, fit-to-content height.

[plugins/0/E000-enable-disable.js](/d08ble/livecomment/blob/master/plugins/0/E000-enable-disable.js) — Toggle nodes on/off in the tree (persisted in `localStorage`

); undo/redo; export enabled or disabled outline from the menu.

[plugins/0/F000-color-buttons.js](/d08ble/livecomment/blob/master/plugins/0/F000-color-buttons.js) — Twelve color tags per node (stored locally); filter or hide by color; reading-line scroll offset below the menu.

[plugins/0/G000-ruler.js](/d08ble/livecomment/blob/master/plugins/0/G000-ruler.js) — Log-scale ruler widgets on nodes via `//:=frame('ruler')`

JSON config; markers, cursor, pan/zoom; visibility persisted per ruler.

[plugins/0/I000-ai.js](/d08ble/livecomment/blob/master/plugins/0/I000-ai.js) — **AI** menu button (placeholder for future AI actions).

[plugins/0/I001-export-tree.js](/d08ble/livecomment/blob/master/plugins/0/I001-export-tree.js) — **Export** menu button: MainView tree → livecomment block syntax per scope; preview, copy, single or multi-file download, optional ZIP.

[plugins/0/J001-hn-firebase.js](/d08ble/livecomment/blob/master/plugins/0/J001-hn-firebase.js) — Loads the monthly ([Ask HN: Who is hiring? (June)](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48357725)) thread through the [HN Firebase API](https://github.com/HackerNews/API), builds a nested LiveComment tree (comments → nodes, jobs → segment text) and decorates job lines with location hints (country flags, remote / on-site). **Hiring HN** menu button shows fetch progress while the thread loads.

``` bash
$ npm install -g livecomment
```

Livecomment current directory
Scan for files contains livecomment blocks `# PYTHON-BLOCK [`

or `// C-BLOCK [`

``` bash
$ livecomment
js
// Import LiveComment module

var LiveComment = require('livecomment');

// Define options (defaults: livecomment/config/config.js)

var options = {
  port: 3070,
  ws_port: 3071,
  dangerousCodeExecution: ['client', 'server'], // for plugins
  debug: 1,
  common: {
    ignore: [
      /^node_modules.*/,
      /^\.idea.*/,
      /^\.svn.*/,
      /^\.git.*/
    ]
  },
  paths: [
    '/path/to/dir/',
    // === or ===
    {
      '/path/to/dir1': {
        ignore: [
          /.*dist.*/
        ]
      }
    }
  ]
};

// Start server

var livecomment = new LiveComment(options);
```

If a configured port is already in use, you will see a line like `HTTP port 3070 in use, using 3071`

(and similarly for the WebSocket port). Default case:

```
=== LiveComment Configuration ===
Server Settings:
  ...
==============================

EXE.ONFRAME [server.exec][][frame] function
Scan files [
/path/to/dir/livecomment [
/path/to/dir/livecomment ]
Scan files ]
Watch for changes [
 /path/to/dir/livecomment
 /path/to/dir/livecomment/bin
 /path/to/dir/livecomment/config
 /path/to/dir/livecomment/plugins
 /path/to/dir/livecomment/public/css
 /path/to/dir/livecomment/public/js
 /path/to/dir/livecomment/views
Watch for changes ]
✔ socket.io server listening on port 3071
✔ Express server listening on port 3070 in development mode
/path/to/dir/livecomment/bin/index-debug.js javascript
EXE.EMIT [this][CHECK FORMAT][mount] undefined CHECK FORMAT
EXE.EMIT [this][SUPPORT FORMATS][mount] undefined SUPPORT FORMATS
/path/to/dir/livecomment/config/config.js javascript
EXE.EMIT [this][DEFAULT CONFIG][mount] undefined DEFAULT CONFIG
/path/to/dir/livecomment/livecomment.js javascript
...
```

(Order of the two `✔`

lines can vary slightly. If ports clash, the printed numbers match the chosen ports.)

Archive [README-old.md](/d08ble/livecomment/blob/master/README-old.md).

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