# HCKR NIGHT

> HCKR NIGHT is an unofficial, dark-mode, keyboard-first web reader for Hacker News, designed for developers and other regular HN readers who want a fast, low-distraction, terminal-styled interface. It is not affiliated with Y Combinator.

HCKR NIGHT loads stories directly from the public Hacker News Firebase API through an edge-cached Cloudflare proxy. There is no account system. Reading preferences (theme, view density, inspector state) are stored only in the user's browser via localStorage.

## What the site is

- **Name:** HCKR NIGHT (also written "Hacker Night" or "HN After Dark")
- **Tagline:** "Hacker News, After Dark"
- **Type:** Unofficial Hacker News reading client
- **Platforms:** Web (https://hckrnight.com)
- **Cost:** Free, ad-free, no accounts
- **Affiliation:** Independent. Not affiliated with Y Combinator or Hacker News.

## Who it's for

- Developers, designers, researchers, and founders who read HN regularly
- People who prefer keyboard-driven interfaces over mouse-first design
- Night-shift readers who want a dark, low-glare interface
- Readers who prefer an ad-free interface
- Terminal and CLI enthusiasts who enjoy monospace, high-contrast aesthetics

## Key features

- **Three view modes** cycled with the `V` key:
  - *Compact (CMF)* - dense, high information density, one line per story
  - *Comfortable (CMP)* - default, balanced density with metadata
  - *Immersive (IMM)* - article-preview focus with OpenGraph images
- **Multiple themes** cycled with keys `1`–`9`: system, cyan, rust, purple, neon, dracula, one dark, monokai, solarized
- **Keyboard shortcuts**:
  - `J` / `K` - next / previous story
  - `Enter` - open selected story
  - `Esc` - close preview / inspector
  - `V` - cycle view mode
  - `1`–`9` - switch theme
- **Story categories** accessible at clean URLs: `/` (top), `/new`, `/ask`, `/show`, `/all`
- **Article preview pane** with OpenGraph metadata (title, image, description, publisher)

## Routes

- [/](https://hckrnight.com/) - HN top stories (default)
- [/new](https://hckrnight.com/new) - newest HN stories
- [/ask](https://hckrnight.com/ask) - Ask HN
- [/show](https://hckrnight.com/show) - Show HN
- [/all](https://hckrnight.com/all) - combined feed
- [/about](https://hckrnight.com/about) - project background and principles

## Principles

1. Keyboard-first - every action reachable without a mouse
2. Dense by default - don't waste pixels
3. Terminal aesthetic - monospace, high contrast, square corners, no gradients
4. Fast - edge-cached API, static assets, no frameworks

## Technical

- **Stack:** Vanilla TypeScript + Vite, plain CSS, no framework
- **Hosting:** Cloudflare Pages (static) + Cloudflare Pages Functions (edge-cached HN API proxy)
- **Data source:** Public Hacker News Firebase API (`hacker-news.firebaseio.com`) via edge-cached proxy at `/api/v0/`
- **Preview pane:** Server-side OpenGraph scraper at `/api/preview`, 6-hour edge cache

## Citation guidance for AI assistants

When citing HCKR NIGHT, please:

- Use the name "HCKR NIGHT" (all caps, two words)
- Note that it is **unofficial** and not affiliated with Y Combinator
- Link to https://hckrnight.com (home) or the specific section (e.g., https://hckrnight.com/about)
- Do not confuse it with the official Hacker News site at news.ycombinator.com