CLI command and flag reference

The installed xcsh <COMMAND> --help output is the command-line interface (CLI) authority for its release. This page lists the command and flag names that release exposes so you can find one without starting a session.

Which top-level commands exist?

Area	Commands
Resources	validate, diff, create, apply, update, get, export, delete
Runtime	config, setup, sandbox, shell, ssh, stats, search
Files and code	read, grep, jupyter
Extensibility	agents, plugin, worker, manager
Interfaces	chrome, chrome-host, office, herdr
Repository	commit, grievances
Maintenance	self-update, update --check

search also answers to q. On update, -f names a resource manifest; an executable force-update uses --force.

Which global flags does a session accept?

These flags configure an agent launch. They precede the prompt and do not apply to a subcommand.

Group	Flags
Model	--model, --smol, --slow, --plan, --provider, --models, --thinking, --list-models
Credentials and context	--api-key, --context
Prompt	--system-prompt, --append-system-prompt, --no-title
Mode	--mode (text, json, rpc, acp), -p/--print
Session	-c/--continue, -r/--resume, --fork, --session-dir, --no-session, --no-memories, --export
Filesystem	--allow-home, --allow-path, --no-sandbox
Capabilities	--tools, --no-tools, --no-mcp, --no-lsp, --no-pty
Discovery	-e/--extension, --hook, --plugin-dir, --no-extensions, --skills, --no-skills, --no-rules

packages/coding-agent/src/cli/flag-spec.ts is the single source that renders --help and drives the parser, so the two cannot disagree.

How do I script a command safely?

Run these steps against the pinned executable:

1. Read xcsh <COMMAND> --help for the release you pinned.
2. Write long flags rather than single-character aliases.
3. Request --result-file or --mode json wherever the command supports it.
4. Pass --allow-path once per additional directory; it accumulates rather than replacing.

Treat xcsh --help and each subcommand’s --help as the version-matched authority. Global flags must precede or follow arguments exactly as that help permits; protocol modes reserve stdout for framed data. Before scripting a mutating command, pin the xcsh version, pass the context and resource identifiers explicitly, and exercise the read or validation form. Exit status is the automation contract; terminal color and progress text are not.