Reference
Command Reference
All REAP interactions go through /reap.* slash commands. These are the primary interface for both users and AI agents.
Lifecycle Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| /reap.evolve | Run an entire generation lifecycle (recommended). The primary command for day-to-day development. Loops through all stages — learning, planning, implementation, validation, completion. |
| /reap.start | Start a new generation. Prompts for a goal, creates current.yml, and sets stage to learning. If pending backlog exists and --backlog <filename> is omitted, prompts for selection; use --no-backlog to explicitly skip. |
| /reap.next | Advance to the next lifecycle stage. Verifies artifact exists and nonce chain before advancing. |
| /reap.back | Return to a previous stage (micro loop). Usage: /reap.back [--reason "<reason>"] |
| /reap.early-close | Lightweight termination from implementation/validation — preserves partial value, runs streamlined reflect (no fitness/adapt), and auto-defers incomplete tasks to a new backlog item for the next generation. Options: --reason, --source-action <hold|stash|none> (default hold), --defer-tasks <true|false> (default true). |
| /reap.abort | Abort current generation. 2-phase process: confirm (shows what will happen) then execute. Options: --phase execute, --reason, --source-action <rollback|stash|hold|none>, --save-backlog. |
Collaboration Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| /reap.merge | Merge lifecycle for parallel branches. Usage: /reap.merge [--type merge --parents "<branchA>,<branchB>"] |
| /reap.pull | Fetch remote changes and detect merge opportunities. |
| /reap.push | Validate REAP state (warn if generation in progress) and push the current branch to remote. |
General Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| /reap.init | Initialize REAP in a project. Auto-detects greenfield vs existing codebase. |
| /reap.knowledge | Manage genome, environment, and context knowledge. Subcommands: reload, genome, environment. |
| /reap.config | View/edit project configuration (.reap/config.yml). |
| /reap.status | Check current generation state, stage progress, and backlog summary. |
| /reap.help | Show available commands and topics. |
| /reap.run | Execute a lifecycle command directly. For fine-grained stage and phase control. |
| /reap.update | Run migration from v0.15 to v0.16. |
Script Orchestrator Architecture
Every slash command is a 1-line .md wrapper that calls reap run <cmd>. The TypeScript script handles all deterministic logic and returns structured JSON instructions for the AI agent. Pattern: Gate (precondition check) → Steps (work execution) → Artifact (recorded to .reap/life/).
CLI Commands (reference)
CLI commands (reap ...) run in your terminal. They handle project setup and maintenance — init, status, run, fix, clean, destroy, make backlog, cruise. They do not interact with the AI agent.