📋 Commands Reference¶

Complete reference for all LookAtni File Markers commands in VS Code and CLI.

VS Code Commands¶

Access commands through the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) or right-click context menus.

File Generation Commands¶

Generate Markers¶

LookAtni: Generate Markers

Purpose: Create marker files from selected directories or workspace Usage: 1. Open Command Palette 2. Type "LookAtni: Generate Markers" 3. Select source directory 4. Choose output file location 5. Configure filters and options

Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+G (configurable)

Quick Markers¶

LookAtni: Quick Markers

Purpose: Generate markers with preset configurations for common scenarios Options: - Development Build - Include source, docs, configs - Production Build - Only production-ready files - Component Library - Just components and types - Documentation - Docs and examples only

File Operations Commands¶

Extract Files¶

LookAtni: Extract Files

Purpose: Extract complete projects from marker files Features: - Interactive file browser for marker selection - Destination folder picker - Conflict resolution options - Progress tracking with cancellation

Validate Markers¶

LookAtni: Validate Markers

Purpose: Verify integrity of marker files Output: - Comprehensive validation report - Issue categorization (Critical/Warning/Info) - Auto-fix suggestions - Performance metrics

Demo & Presentation Commands¶

Automated Demo¶

LookAtni: Automated Demo

Purpose: Create perfect demonstrations for tutorials and presentations Features: - Scripted actions with timing control - Multiple demo scenarios - Recording-friendly output - Customizable speed and pauses

Quick Demo¶

LookAtni: Quick Demo

Purpose: Quick demonstration of basic workflow Duration: ~2 minutes Content: Generate → Validate → Extract cycle

Recording Guide¶

LookAtni: Recording Guide

Purpose: Open interactive guide for creating video tutorials Includes: - Step-by-step recording instructions - Best practices for screen recording - Recommended settings and tools

Project Management Commands¶

Show Statistics¶

LookAtni: Show Statistics

Purpose: Display project metrics and insights Metrics: - File count by type - Total project size - Complexity analysis - Dependency graph

Open CLI¶

LookAtni: Open CLI

Purpose: Open integrated terminal with LookAtni CLI ready Features: - Pre-configured environment - Current project context - Command history and suggestions

Visual Markers¶

LookAtni: Visual Markers

Purpose: Toggle enhanced visual markers in editor Features: - Syntax highlighting - Interactive navigation - File tree view - Hover information

Configuration¶

LookAtni: Configuration

Purpose: Open settings UI for LookAtni preferences Categories: - Generation settings - Visual preferences - Performance options - Integration settings

CLI Commands¶

Installation & Setup¶

# Install globally
npm install -g lookatni-cli

# Verify installation
lookatni --version

# Show help
lookatni --help

Core Commands¶

`lookatni generate`¶

Generate marker files from project directories.

lookatni generate [options]

Options:
  -s, --source <path>       Source directory (default: current)
  -o, --output <file>       Output marker file
  -i, --include <patterns>  Include file patterns (comma-separated)
  -e, --exclude <patterns>  Exclude file patterns (comma-separated)
  -c, --compress           Compress output
  -m, --metadata           Include file metadata
  -p, --preserve-structure Preserve directory structure
  -v, --verbose            Verbose output
  -d, --dry-run           Preview without generating

Examples:
  lookatni generate --source ./my-project --output markers.txt
  lookatni generate -s . -o markers.txt -i "src/**,*.json" -e "node_modules/**"
  lookatni generate --compress --metadata --verbose

`lookatni extract`¶

Extract projects from marker files.

lookatni extract [options]

Options:
  -i, --input <file>        Input marker file (required)
  -o, --output <path>       Output directory (default: current)
  -f, --filter <patterns>   Extract specific patterns only
  -e, --exclude <patterns>  Exclude specific patterns
  --overwrite              Overwrite existing files
  --backup                 Create backups before overwriting
  --skip-existing          Skip existing files
  -v, --verbose            Verbose output
  -d, --dry-run           Preview without extracting

Examples:
  lookatni extract -i project.txt -o ./restored
  lookatni extract -i markers.txt -f "src/**" --overwrite
  lookatni extract -i project.txt --backup --verbose

`lookatni validate`¶

Validate marker file integrity.

lookatni validate [options] <file>

Options:
  -d, --detailed           Show detailed validation report
  -f, --fix-suggestions    Provide fix suggestions
  -r, --report <file>      Save report to file
  --strict                 Use strict validation rules
  --auto-fix              Attempt automatic fixes
  -j, --json              Output in JSON format
  -v, --verbose           Verbose output

Examples:
  lookatni validate project.txt
  lookatni validate markers.txt --detailed --fix-suggestions
  lookatni validate project.txt --strict --report validation.json

Advanced Commands¶

`lookatni analyze`¶

Analyze project structure and dependencies.

lookatni analyze [options]

Options:
  -s, --source <path>       Source directory
  -o, --output <file>       Save analysis to file
  -g, --graph <file>        Generate dependency graph
  --size-breakdown         Show size breakdown by file type
  --complexity-analysis    Analyze code complexity
  -f, --format <type>       Output format (json|yaml|txt)

Examples:
  lookatni analyze --source ./project --output analysis.json
  lookatni analyze --graph deps.dot --size-breakdown

`lookatni diff`¶

Compare marker files or directories.

lookatni diff [options] <source1> <source2>

Options:
  -r, --report <file>      Save comparison report
  --ignore-whitespace     Ignore whitespace changes
  --ignore-metadata       Ignore metadata differences
  -f, --format <type>      Report format (json|html|txt)
  -v, --verbose           Show detailed differences

Examples:
  lookatni diff old.txt new.txt
  lookatni diff markers.txt ./project-dir --report changes.html

`lookatni merge`¶

Merge multiple marker files.

lookatni merge [options] <files...>

Options:
  -o, --output <file>      Output merged file
  --strategy <type>        Merge strategy (combine|overwrite|prompt)
  --deduplicate           Remove duplicate files
  -v, --verbose           Verbose output

Examples:
  lookatni merge file1.txt file2.txt -o combined.txt
  lookatni merge *.txt --deduplicate --strategy=combine

Configuration Commands¶

`lookatni config`¶

Manage global configuration.

lookatni config <command> [options]

Commands:
  set <key> <value>        Set configuration value
  get <key>               Get configuration value
  list                    List all configuration
  reset                   Reset to defaults
  validate <file>         Validate config file

Examples:
  lookatni config set default.output ./markers
  lookatni config get default.include
  lookatni config list
  lookatni config validate .lookatni.json

`lookatni init`¶

Initialize project configuration.

lookatni init [options]

Options:
  -t, --template <type>    Use configuration template
  -f, --force             Overwrite existing configuration
  -i, --interactive       Interactive configuration wizard

Templates:
  - javascript           JavaScript/Node.js projects
  - typescript           TypeScript projects
  - react               React applications
  - vue                 Vue.js applications
  - python              Python projects
  - documentation       Documentation sites

Examples:
  lookatni init --template react
  lookatni init --interactive

Command Chaining & Workflows¶

Basic Workflow¶

# Complete workflow in one command chain
lookatni generate --source . --output project.txt && \
lookatni validate project.txt --strict && \
echo "✅ Project markers ready for distribution!"

Development Workflow¶

# Development build with validation
lookatni generate \
  --source ./src \
  --include "**/*.{ts,tsx,js,jsx,json,md}" \
  --exclude "**/*.test.*" \
  --output dev-build.txt \
  --metadata --verbose

# Validate and extract for testing
lookatni validate dev-build.txt --detailed
lookatni extract --input dev-build.txt --output ./test-extraction --dry-run

Production Workflow¶

# Production-ready markers
lookatni generate \
  --source . \
  --include "src/**,README.md,package.json,LICENSE" \
  --exclude "**/*.test.*,**/*.spec.*,node_modules/**" \
  --output "$(basename $PWD)-prod-$(date +%Y%m%d).txt" \
  --compress --preserve-structure

# Validate with strict rules
lookatni validate *.txt --strict --report validation-report.json

Error Handling & Troubleshooting¶

Common Exit Codes¶

Code	Meaning	Action
0	Success	Continue
1	General error	Check command syntax
2	File not found	Verify file paths
3	Permission denied	Check file permissions
4	Invalid configuration	Validate config file
5	Validation failed	Fix validation errors

Debugging Commands¶

# Verbose output for debugging
lookatni generate --verbose --source .

# Dry run to test without changes
lookatni extract --input markers.txt --dry-run

# Debug configuration
lookatni config debug

# Test file patterns
lookatni test-pattern "src/**/*.{ts,tsx}"

Performance Optimization¶

# For large projects
lookatni generate --source . --parallel=8 --stream

# Memory-conscious processing
lookatni generate --source . --max-memory=2GB --use-temp

# Compress large outputs
lookatni generate --source . --compress --output large-project.txt.gz

Next: Explore Workflows Guide for advanced automation patterns.