Command-Line Helper (nve)

nve is a lightweight macOS shell helper for opening files in Neon Vision Editor from Terminal.

Distribution model

• App builds bundle the helper as Neon Vision Editor.app/Contents/Resources/nve.
• The app does not auto-install the helper, modify shell startup files, or write links into /usr/local/bin.
• The Settings support section shows a user-local link command that the user can copy and run explicitly.
• It calls /usr/bin/open -a "Neon Vision Editor" and passes user-supplied file paths to macOS Launch Services.
• It does not read file contents, write files, request Full Disk Access, request Accessibility access, install privileged components, or run with elevated permissions.
• It validates that each path exists before forwarding it to Launch Services.

macOS permission behavior

The helper itself does not show permission prompts because it does not access file contents. macOS grants the sandboxed app access through the document-open flow when Launch Services delivers the file-open request to Neon Vision Editor.

Inside the app, file loading uses security-scoped access before reading the URL. This matches the sandbox model for user-selected/opened documents.

If a file is in a protected location and macOS requires additional user approval, the prompt belongs to the app/system file-access flow, not to the helper script. The helper must not request Full Disk Access or Accessibility permission.

App Store compliance notes

For the bundled, user-linked helper:

• No App Store Connect privacy metadata change is required.
• No additional entitlement is required beyond the existing macOS App Sandbox and user-selected read/write file access.
• The helper should be described as optional, user-initiated, and limited to opening files/folders through Launch Services.
• Reviewer notes should state that it does not run background services, collect telemetry, request privileged permissions, or access file contents directly.

If a future release replaces the shell wrapper with a compiled helper tool, Apple’s sandbox guidance applies: the helper must inherit the containing app’s sandbox configuration, and the release must be rechecked for signing, sandbox inheritance, and App Store review notes.

Usage

nve README.md
nve --wait --new-window "Neon Vision Editor/UI/ContentView.swift"
nve --line 42 "Neon Vision Editor/UI/ContentView.swift"

User-local link

The app shows this command in Settings > Support on macOS:

mkdir -p "$HOME/bin"
ln -sf "/Applications/Neon Vision Editor.app/Contents/Resources/nve" "$HOME/bin/nve"

If the app is installed somewhere else, use the path shown in Settings.

--line is accepted for compatibility with editor-style CLI workflows. Current builds open the file without cursor placement.