# CLI Reference

This is the canonical contract for invoking Scriptorium. Configuration discovery,
precedence, directories, profiles, and schemas are defined in the
[configuration reference](config.md). The [HTTP API reference](api.md) owns
service request and response behavior.

## Shortest Useful Command

```bash
go run ./cmd/scriptorium render \
  --config ./examples/config.yml \
  --prompt generic.markdown_summary \
  --input transcript=./examples/fixtures/transcript.md \
  --input glossary=./examples/fixtures/glossary.yml
```

`render` prepares a request without calling an LLM.

## Commands

- `scriptorium run`: prepare a prompt, call the configured LLM, and write the
  generated artifact.
- `scriptorium render`: prepare a prompt and write prepared-run output.
- `scriptorium serve`: start the HTTP server.

All commands accept `--config <path>` and reject positional arguments. An
effective `prompt_dir` is required for every command. Supply it through the
configuration contract or the command's `--prompt-dir` flag.

## `scriptorium run`

```text
scriptorium run [flags]
```

Required flags:

| Flag | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| `--prompt <id>` | Prompt ID to execute. |
| `--input name=path` | Input file mapping; repeat or use comma-separated mappings. |

Optional flags:

| Flag | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| `--config <path>` | Application configuration file. |
| `--prompt-dir <dir>` | Prompt-definition directory override. |
| `--profile-dir <dir>` | Custom profile-directory override. |
| `--schema-dir <dir>` | Schema base-directory override. |
| `--profile <id>` | Execution-profile override. |
| `--var name=value` | Template-variable mapping; repeat or use comma-separated mappings. |
| `--out <path>` | Write generated content to this file instead of stdout. |
| `--llm-base-url <url>` | Runtime endpoint override. |
| `--model <name>` | Runtime model override. |
| `--api-key-env <name>` | Runtime API-key environment-variable name override. |
| `--temperature <float>` | Runtime temperature override. |
| `--max-tokens <int>` | Runtime maximum-token override. |
| `--top-p <float>` | Runtime top-p override. |
| `--timeout <duration>` | Runtime timeout override using Go duration syntax. |

Deprecated aliases: `--prompt-id` for `--prompt`, and `--profile-id` for
`--profile`.

Omitted numeric runtime flags preserve the selected effective value; explicit
zero values override it. `--timeout 0s` disables the per-generation deadline
only; the caller context and configured transport cap remain active. CLI
durations are converted to whole seconds by truncation toward zero, so any
duration whose absolute value is below one second becomes an explicit
zero-second override. The timeout layers are defined in the
[outbound integration contract](integrations/openai-compatible-chat.md#authentication-and-timeout).

There is no raw API-key flag. Use `--api-key-env`.

## `scriptorium render`

```text
scriptorium render [flags]
```

`--prompt <id>` and at least one `--input name=path` are required. The
following optional flags are supported: `--config`, `--prompt-dir`,
`--profile-dir`, `--profile`, `--var`, `--out`, `--llm-base-url`,
`--model`, `--api-key-env`, `--temperature`, `--max-tokens`, `--top-p`,
`--timeout`, and `--format text|json`. Their meanings match the corresponding
`run` flags; `--format` selects prepared-run output and otherwise uses
`defaults.render_format`.

The same deprecated aliases and numeric/timeout behavior as `run` apply.
`render` does not accept `--schema-dir`; configure `schema_dir` through the
configuration file. It resolves profiles and schemas as part of preparation but
does not call an LLM.

## `scriptorium serve`

```text
scriptorium serve [flags]
```

Optional flags:

| Flag | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| `--config <path>` | Application configuration file. |
| `--addr <listen-address>` | HTTP listen-address override. |
| `--prompt-dir <dir>` | Prompt-definition directory override. |
| `--profile-dir <dir>` | Custom profile-directory override. |
| `--schema-dir <dir>` | Schema base-directory override. |
| `--artifact-root <dir>` | Root for HTTP `file` input references. |
| `--max-request-bytes <n>` | Maximum encoded HTTP request-body bytes; `0` disables the limit. |
| `--max-artifact-bytes <n>` | Maximum HTTP file-input artifact bytes; `0` disables the limit. |
| `--max-response-bytes <n>` | Maximum encoded HTTP response bytes; `0` disables the limit. |

`serve` accepts no runtime model override flags. HTTP request fields, response
schemas, and error codes are defined in the [HTTP API reference](api.md).

## Input And Variable Syntax

`--input name=path` maps an input name to a local file; `--var name=value`
maps a template variable to a string. Both flags can be repeated or contain
comma-separated mappings. Values may contain `=` after the first separator.
Empty names and values are rejected.

CLI inputs are file references. HTTP inline inputs are defined by the
[HTTP API reference](api.md).

## Output And Exit Behavior

- `run` writes generated content to stdout, or to `--out` when supplied, and
  writes a concise summary to stderr.
- `render` writes prepared-run output to stdout, or to `--out` when supplied,
  without a success summary.
- `serve` writes startup and server errors to stderr.

Exit statuses:

| Status | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| `0` | Success. |
| `1` | Parse, configuration, loading, rendering, generation, output-write, or other runtime error. |
| `2` | `run` generated and wrote output, but validation failed. |

## Workflows And Examples

The [maintained render script](../examples/render-markdown-summary.sh) is a
copyable render workflow. The [HTTP request example](../examples/http-run.json)
is for a running `serve` process.